Govs rush to beat 60-day deadline, request commissioners’ confirmation

Barely 24 hours to the 60-day deadline for governors sworn in on May 29 to submit their commissioner-nominees to their respective Houses of Assembly, in accordance with the constitution, some governors on Friday raced to meet the deadline as they forwarded their lists to the lawmakers.

The states, including Lagos, Nasarawa, Enugu, Gombe and Zamfara, forwarded a total of 104 nominees to the Assembly.

This came barely a day after President Bola Tinubu also forwarded his ministerial-nominees to the Senate for screening.

The alteration bills to the 1999 constitution signed into law by former President Muhammadu Buhari before he left office on May 29 stipulated that the President and governors shall within 60 days of taking the oath of office forward the names of their nominees to the legislature for confirmation.

For the 28 governors inaugurated on May 29 alongside the President, Saturday (today) makes the 60-day deadline.

In Nasarawa State, Governor Abdullahi Sule submitted a list of 17 commissioner-nominees to the Assembly for screening.

The Speaker of the Assembly, Ibrahim Abdullahi, made the disclosure during an emergency sitting of the Assembly in Lafia on Friday.

The speaker asked the nominees to submit 30 copies of their curriculum vitae to the Assembly on or before July 31, adding that they should appear for screening on August 1.

In Enugu State, Governor Peter Mbah sent 15 commissioner-nominees, including the son of former Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, Lloyd, and ex-governor Sullivan Chime’s daughter, Ada Chukwu.

Their nominations were contained in a list sent to the House of Assembly, which was read on the floor of the House by the Speaker, Uche Ugwu, on Friday.

The letter noted that the list was not exhaustive as the governor also appealed for their speedy consideration.