Senate Confirms Two NERC Commissioners

The Senate has confirmed the appointment of two Commissioners of the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

Those confirmed are Aisha Mahmud Kanti Bello, who was re-appointed, and Dr. Animashaun Fouad Olayinka, newly appointed as Commissioner.

The confirmation announced by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, followed the consideration and adoption of a report by the Senate Committee on Power, presented by its Chairman, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South), during plenary.

Also confirmed were the nominations of three non-career ambassadors, the first set of nominees submitted by President Tinubu two weeks ago and screened by the upper chamber last week.

Those confirmed are Lateef Kayode Kolawole Are from Ogun State, Aminu Muhammad Dalhatu from Jigawa State, and Emmanuel Ayodele Oke, CFR, from Oyo State.

The confirmations followed the consideration of the report of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, which conducted the screening exercise.

READ ALSO: Senate Confirms Three Non-Career Ambassadorial Nominees

Sixty-four other ambassadorial nominees forwarded to the Senate and screened are yet to be confirmed.

President Tinubu forwarded the names of the three non-career ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for confirmation on November 26.

It was the first list of ambassadorial nominees sent to the Senate by Tinubu since he became the President on May 29, 2023.

The President followed that up by nominating 32 other persons for ambassadorial roles, including a former governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; immediate past chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu; former minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, and former presidential aide, Reno Omokri.

Others on the list include a former governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu, and a former deputy governor of Lagos State, Femi Pedro.

Ondo Senator and businessman, Jimoh Ibrahim; a former Ekiti first lady, Erelu Angela Adebayo, and former Adamawa Senator, Grace Bent, also made the list of nominees.

A breakdown of the list shows that there are four women on the career ambassadors’ list and six on the non-career ambassadors’ list.

Others who were nominated as non-career ambassador designates are Ogbonnaya Kalu from Abia; a former speaker of the Katsina House of Assembly, Tasiu Musa Maigari; a former Commissioner in Plateau State and ex-deputy executive secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Yakubu N. Gambo.

A former Senator from Plateau, Nora Ladi Daduut; Nkechi Linda Ufochukwu from Anambra State; ex-First Lady of Oyo, Fatima Florence Ajimobi; former Lagos Commissioner, Lola Akande, and the former ambassador of Nigeria to the Holy See, Paul Oga Adikwu from Benue State were also nominated.

Apart from these, Tinubu also nominated career ambassadors and high commissioner-designates.

They are Enebechi Monica Okwuchukwu (Abia), Yakubu Nyaku Danladi (Taraba), Miamuna Ibrahim Besto (Adamawa), Musa Musa Abubakar (Kebbi), Syndoph Paebi Endoni (Bayelsa), Chima Geoffrey Lioma David (Ebonyi), and Mopelola Adeola-Ibrahim (Ogun).

Abimbola Samuel Reuben (Ondo), Yvonne Ehinosen Odumah (Edo), Hamza Mohammed Salau (Niger), Ambassador Shehu Barde (Katsina), and Ambassador Ahmed Mohammed Monguno (Borno) are equally on the list of nominees.

Others are Ambassador Muhammad Saidu Dahiru (Kaduna), Ambassador Olatunji Ahmed Sulu Gambari (Kawara), and Ambassador Wahab Adekola Akande (Osun).