www.thenationonlineng.net/drama-as-nominee-for-ncc-board-seeks-scrap-of-senate/



Drama as nominee for NCC board seeks scrap of Senate

by Onyedi Ojiabor, Abuja, October 19, 2016 at 6:39
pm in News
”
The campaign for the scrapping of the senate
received a boost in a dramatic manner
Wednesday at the national assembly just
there was a call for collaboration towards
repackaging the senate.

Drama unfolding in the Senate Wednesday
as the North-East nominee for appointment
to the Governing Board of the Nigerian
Communications Commission, Aliyu Saidu
Abubakar, called for the immediate
scrapping of the upper chamber
Abubakar made the call during the screening
of the presidential nominees for the
Governing Board of the Nigerian
Communications NCC, by the Senator Gilbert
Nnaji-led committee on Communications.

A member of the committee had confronted
the nominee asking why he once led a
protest for the scrapping of the Senate.
The member told the nominee that he was
appearing before the same Senate he
wanted scrapped.

Abubakar in his response insisted that the
cost of running the senate was high and
therefore should be scrapped.
The nominee noted that a situation where
the senators had been receiving huge
transport, ward robe and dressing
allowances and others was a clear economic
loss to the country.

He also listed the purchase expensive
vehicles for Senators as another reason why
the upper chamber should done away with.
The committee presented several
photographs of the nominee leading
organised protests against the Senate
particularly at the gate of the National
Assembly recently.

The apparent unrepentant Abubakar told the
committee that he has no regret for his
actions.

He insisted that he was still convinced that
“the Senate is an avenue for wastage of
scarce economic resources of the country.”
The Senate, he said, “must go”
Speaking after the session, Abubakar, told
reporters that the Senate should be
scrapped.

The Bauchi State nominee however denied
telling the committee that the Senate must
be scrapped.

He said, “It is not true that I told members
of the committee that the Senate should be
scrapped. They asked me whether I was part
of the group that agitated for the scrapping
of the Senate and I said yes because of so
many things involved in the Senate and their
budget.

“They asked me to state the reasons why we
were agitating for the scrapping of the
Senate, I said it is because of their huge
budget; they (Senators) consume a lot of
resources from the government; they put it
in their own budget.

“Also, they have transport allowance and,
yet, they budget a lot of money to acquire
vehicles.”

He said that the committee confronted him
with several photographs of him during the
‘Occupy National Assembly’ protests,
including the ones held at the National
Assembly and in Bauchi State which he did
not deny.

Asked if he still stood by his words that it
was a waste to keep the Senate and that it
should be scrapped, Abubakar replied, “The
Senate must go because something has to be
done to cut down the expenses on the
Senate. I still maintain that.”

The committee had earlier listed what it
described as “grave irregularities” in the
personal records of the nominee.
The committee noted that it was curious that
apart from birth certificate, there were only
copies of court affidavit and police extract
dated the same day, claiming loss of his
credentials.

The committee noted that it appears the
court affidavit and police extract were
procured after Abubakar had been
nominated to serve in the board.
The committee also said that it was
interesting that the highest academic
qualification of the nominee was a one-year
“Diploma in Computer” from Abubakar
Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi.

It said that the attached statement of result
was dated 23rd September 2016, also
obtained after he had been nominated by
President Muhammadu Buhari.

Requested to show reason why he chose to
present documents that were procured
shortly after his nomination and also why he
believed that he was qualified to function as
a National Commissioner in such a critical
agency like NCC given the rigours, challenges
and required expertise for efficiency of the
commission, Abubakar said that he “did not
bother to go for the credentials.”

He explained further that he “only went to
school merely for knowledge having been
self-employed prior to the nomination.”
The NCC chairman-designate, Senator Bisi
Durojaiye expressed concern over the public
perception of the Senate.

Durojaiye noted that as former Senator who
also headed the Committee on
Communications he was committed and
passionate for a very strong Senate that
grows in leaps and bound.

He said, “Please permit me to convey a
message from the oldest living former
Senator Chief Reuben Farosanti who just
clocked 91. Although I have presented it to
the Senate President, Senator Farosanti had
requested for a closed door session between
the current Senate and the old generation to
discuss. Considering the heat from the other
side this has become imperative….”

Chairman of the Committee, Senator Gilbert
Nnaji, urged the nominees to seek to add
value to the regulatory agency and ensure
that Nigerian masses truly got the greatest
benefits of their appointment if they scale
through.

Nnaji said that the committee would make
its report to the plenary for approval and
confirmation.

SMG