By John Ogunsemore
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Privatisation and Commercialisation, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, has said that the screening of the governing board nominees for the South East Development Commission and North West Development Commission is being delayed as a result of the failure of the security agencies to forward relevant documents to the Senate.
Kalu said this while reacting to reports that some nominees were hanging around the National Assembly complex with the hope of being screened on Thursday.
On December 6, presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga disclosed that President Bola Tinubu had submitted a revised list of nominees for the governing boards of the South East Development Commission and the North West Development Commission to the Senate for confirmation.
On Thursday, reports emerged that some of the nominees converged at the National Assembly complex in preparation for being screened.
Reacting, Kalu said he remained on standby for the screening of the nominees despite the Senate embarking on recess until January 14.
However, he said no screening exercise could proceed without the Senate getting the relevant clearance for the nominees from the security agencies.
He said he would summon members of the committee for the screening once the relevant documents from the security agencies have been received.
“We will work, even a day to Christmas. It’s not a problem. We will work.
“It is the job of the Senate, and we will do it, whether there is holiday or not,” Senator Kalu assured.
He noted that any nominee hanging around the National Assembly premises is not doing so on the invitation of the Senate committee.
“It is only this committee that can issue a document as authorised by the President of the Senate,” Senator Kalu added.