The Senate will today screen President Goodluck Jonathan’s nominees for the governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele and the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa.
Both events would be aired live on television.
Although Emefiele would not assume office immediately, Senate spokesman, Enyinnaya Abaribe,told newsmen yesterday that the screening and confirmation became necessary to avoid a vacuum.
His words: “I want to confirm that tomorrow, in line with the constitutional provisions and the Senate Rules, we will do the screening and confirmation of President Jonathan’s request for two persons: Hon. Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa as President of the Court of Appeal and Mr. Godwin Emefiele as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
“Both events will be aired live on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA). I am very certain that it will give Nigerians the opportunity to witness, firsthand, the screening of the two individuals that are very vital to both the dispensation of justice in Nigeria and management of our economy.
“There is nothing unconstitutional in the screening of CBN governorship nominee. Every person that will emerge as the CBN governor, must be screened and there is nothing in the Constitution that says that he will be screened only after the end of the tenure of the present incumbent.
“In fact, good sense means that we should screen somebody and go through all the processes so that on the date that the tenure of the incumbent ends, he could hand over to his successor.
“So, we should not allow for lacuna in the process and that is why we are taking this process to make sure that there is no gap at all and of course, three months give us enough time for us to go through this process in such a way that whoever Nigerians want as the new CBN governor, they will get it and will resume when the tenure of the current occupant ends”, he said.
Senator Abaribe noted that the President had just submitted details of the N4.62 trillion 2014 budget and all the 53 sub-committees of the Appropriation Committee are already late in submitting their reports for consideration and adoption.
“The President has sent details of the Appropriation requests and every committee, being sub-committees of the Appropriation Committee and having finished their jobs, they are required to defend their appropriation in front of Appropriations Committee.Some committees had yet to appear before the Appropriation Committee to defend their figures. Because we want to bring out the Appropriation Bill on time, tomorrow had been fixed as the deadline.
“Every sub-committee must submit their reports and that was why we cut short our plenary today so that they will have enough time to meet with the Appropriation Committee”, Sen. Abaribe said.
Upon receipt of of the details from the sub-committees, Senator Ahmed Maccido-led Appropriation Committee is expected to submit its report to the Senate which will then be considered in the Committee of Supply.
