President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday sought the approval of the Senate to appoint 15 Special Advisers (SAs). The request, through a letter, was the first communication between the president ant the Senate. In the letter dated June 2 and addressed to the President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, Buhari explained that his request was in line with the provision of Section 151(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). The president, however, did not include the names of the persons he intended to appoint as Special Advisers.
The letter reads: “Pursuant to the provision of Section 151(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), which confers on me to appoint Special Advisers to assist me in the performance of my functions, I write to request for your kind consideration and approval of the distinguished members of the Senate of the Federal Republic, to appoint 15 Special Advisers as prescribed in Section 151(2-3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
“While trusting that this exercise will receive the traditional prompt attention of the Senate, please accept, Mr. President, the assurance of my highest consideration.” Meanwhile, the Senate yesterday berated its members who contested and won the April 11 governorship election, describing their action as a backward movement on the nation’s political ladder. This was as the Upper Chamber unanimously congratulated President Buhari and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo on their inauguration on May 29.
The Senate also commended the former President Goodluck Jonathan for his role in the last general elections. The motion to congratulate the president, his vice and senators that got elected as governors was co-sponsored by 102 Senators and moved by the Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, President of the Senate, Senator David Mark observed that the decision of the senators to move from the Senate to the State Government Houses as governors was retrogressive. He said: “For our colleagues who have gone to become governors, my position is different.
I think going from the Senate to becoming a governor is not a movement forward but a movement backward. “Well, if you decide to move backward to sacrifice to work for your people, then we should also congratulate them. But I think from the Senate we should look upwards.
In spite of that, some of our colleagues have gone to the states to assist in bringing development to their state, so I congratulate them also.” Mark, however, condemned the activities of hoodlums during the inauguration that took place across the country on May 29. Also, Senator Ita Enang noted that in the United States of America, a former Senator could only take such appointments as the Secretary of State, Defence Secretary and Secretary of State Treasury. He said that any appointment less than these offices would not be acceptable to a Senator in the United States because that would be tantamount to moving backward politically.
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