Impunity: Presidential Appointments, Disbursement Of Monies Without NASS Approval

What would it profit President Muhammadu Buhari to keep the Senate at
bay and risk embarrassing himself in ways that defy common sense and
logic?

Or, put differently, when does Buhari intend to get rid of the monkey
on his back, a monkey which continues to present him as a man of petty
disposition?
These are some of the questions a section of the leadership of the All
Progressives Congress, APC, as well as the handlers of Mr. President
must continue to contend with as Nigeria's leader serially creates
conditions that force him to appear to be intent on walking naked in
the market place.
Worse still, Buhari, who, despite the very insensate, rude and wicked
name-calling by the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign
Council, still rode to power on the goodwill of over 12million
Nigerians, but is today in danger of creating conditions that would
make the PDP leaders claim "we told you so".
It is now a market place realityas Buhari has been refusing to have
any unofficial relationship with the Senate obviously to please
political leaders who were shamed that their candidates were defeated
in the election into the Senate leadership.

Unfortunately for the President, this is not a military administration
where the Head of State can act unilaterally – most appointments,
policy decisions and appropriation of funds must be approved by the
NASS, particularly the Senate.
His obstinate refusal to maintain a proper and mutually beneficial
relationship with the Senate in particular has led to some
unpardonable nay embarrassing mistakes .

One of such was the appointment of Asset Management Company of
Nigeria, AMCON, Chairman and Board members with the marching orders to
start work immediately when such appointments ought to be confirmed by
the Senate.

The same thing happened in the appointment of the Acting Chairman of
the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, when Prof.
Attahiru Jega, a more sensible and adroit individual, did the right
thing and handed over to somebody – Buhari reversed it and appointed
Amina Zakari illegally, pooh-poohing the 1999 Constitution of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria which states, in part, that the tenure of
an INEC Commissioner cannot be terminated without the confirmation of
the Senate voting two third majority in support of such – not a letter
terminating her tenure just so she could be appointed as Acting
Chairman.

Even the release of money as palliative measure or bail out to states,
a form of expenditure, did not enjoy the benefit of going through the
Senate.

At the centre of this administrative malady is the suspected role of
the Head of Service, Mr. Danladi Kifasi, who seems to have grown in
influence due to the absence of ministers and Secretary to the
Government of the Federation, SGF.
On a few occasions, Buhari has had to reverse himself as he is set to
do on the AMCON issue because the Senate has a role to play.

He may enjoy running a broken government for now but the consequences
are much more than a President who is being ill-advised that he can
continue to run Nigeria like a sole administrator.

It is even incomprehensible that the champions of due process,
egalitarianism and constitutional order, most of who now people the
APC, are keeping a shameful silence in the face of this rape of the
Constitution because many of them are expecting to be appointed as
ministers or board chairmen.
Compliance with the 1999 Constitution is at the heart of the matter.
-Vanguard