Pass N1.48trn budget
By James Adamu
Senate has been torn apart over the appointment of a non-indigene to head the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), as some of them warned that the development might worsen the already tense political atmosphere in the state.
The nominee, Dr Michael Odeh, is from Cross River State, same as the state of origin of the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice-Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas.
Some senators kicked against the appointment as the Senate considered and confirmed nomimees for membership of the commission.
The Senate AdHoc Committee Overseeing Implementation of the Emergency Rule in Rivers had earlier screened Odeh and other members of the electoral body, recommending their confirmation.
The committee, which is headed by the Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, had defended the appointment on the grounds that it did not breach the law of the land, specifically the 1999 Constitution.
However, as the report of the Bamidele committee was tabled for consideration, some senators rose to oppose the nomination of Odeh.
At the session, which was presided over by the Deputy President of the Senate (DSP), Senator Barau Jibrin, senators Ali Ndume, Abdul Ningi and Abba Moro opposed the nomination of Odeh.
Ningi, who was the first to voice his concerns, warned that the Senate was progressing in error by bringing a non-indigene to head an electoral body in Rivers.
“Are there no people in Rivers any more? Why is this necessary?
“Mr President, let it be on record that I, Senator Abdul Ningi, stood against this decision, even if it will not stop the confirmation”, he stated.
Ndume too rose to oppose the appointment, and like Ningi, voted against it.
On his part, Senate Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro, observed that the APC should treat matters concerning Rivers with caution, especially that the state is an opposition party state.
“Rivers is under emergency rule. So, this decision raises a lot of questions. The state is ordinarily not under APC.
“Let it be known that we have some concerns over what is going on in Rivers State”, Moro stated.
But, Senate Whip, Senator Mohammed Monguno, defended the decision to appoint Odeh on the excuse that any Nigerian could serve in any capacity in any state of the Federation.
“Any Nigerian can be appointed to be anybody in any state.
This right is guaranteed by the constitution.
“I can even serve as the governor of Benue State, if the people of Benue State so elect me to be their governor”, he argued amid murmurs on the floor.
The DSP, Jibrin, backed Monguno’s stance, citing an example with Abia State where according to him, the Head of Service is from Edo State.
Jibrin dismissed the opposition to the appointment as “pure politics”, insisting that no law was breached.
“In Abia State, the HoS, Mr Benson, is from Edo State, and nobody is saying anything about rhat.
This is all politics”, he added.
The Senate proceeded all the same to confirm the nomination.
Other confirmations done by the Senate on Wednesday were the nominees for the Rivers State Local Government Civil Service Commission and Rivers State Primary Healthcare Management Board.
Meanwhile, the Senate also passed the Rivers State 2025 budget, which is in the total sum of N1.48trillion.
The Sole Administrator, Ibas, had earlier appeared before the Bamidele committee last week to defend the estimates of the budget.
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