The Senate on Wednesday received the report of the Joint Committee on Finance and National Planning and Economic Affairs on the 2021-2023 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF)/Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP).
This came just as lawmakers opposed the nomination of Aishat Dahir Umar as Director-General of the National Pension Commission (NPC).
The report was presented at plenary by the panel chair, Solomon Olamilekan Adeola (APC: Lagos West).
The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, while welcoming lawmakers back from the two-month recess on Tuesday, had hinted that the consideration and passage of the MTEF/FSP document would precede the presentation of the 2021 budget estimates by President Muhammadu Buhari next week.
In continuation of Tuesday’s opposition of the nomination by Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe, the legislators, mostly from the South East, are insisting that the replacement for the erstwhile Director-General, Mrs. Chinelo Anohu, should have come from the zone.
President Buhari, had in a letter read on the floor of the Red Chamber on Tuesday by Lawan, nominated Dr. Oyindasola Oluremi Oni and Umar from North Central and North East for the chairmanship and director generalship of the commission.
Lawan had barely finished reading the correspondence than Abaribe alleged breach of federal capital in the appointments.
Opposition to Umar’s choice is getting fiercer, as it was gathered that the southeast caucus in the National Assembly was meeting yesterday night to take a final position.
Seconding the motion for the screening and confirmation of the nominees yesterday, the Abia South representative sustained his stance.
The screening and confirmation, was, however, referred to the Committee on Establishments and Public Service Matters by the Lawnan, who presided over the plenary.
