NPC: Senate Confirms Durnnguwa’s Nomination Despite Protest

Despite protest by the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Abiodun Olujimi, the Senate, on Thursday, confirmed the appointment of Mr. Abdulmalik Durnnguwa as a commissioner in the National Population Commission (NPC).

Durnnguwa’s confirmation followed the consideration of the report of the Senate Committee on National Identity Card and National Population, presented by its Chairman, Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi.

Durnnguwa, who hails from Kaduna State, is one of the 23 nominees, whose names were sent by President Muhammadu Buhari to the Senate for confirmation in April.

However, while others were confirmed on Thursday last week, Durnnguwa’s nomination was stood down due to issues raised about his West African Examination Certificate (WAEC).

Consequently, his case was referred back to the Committee on National Identity Card and National Population for further legislative action.

Presenting his report yesterday, Hunkuyi explained that the nominee had appeared before the committee with two letters on the areas for which the committee demanded clarification earlier.

One of the letters, he said, came from the Ministry of Education, Katsina State, where the secondary school he attended is domiciled, while the other came from the school.

Hunkuyi pointed out that the committee was satisfied with the contents of the two letters confirming that the nominee did obtain his O’Level certificate from the school.

The letters notwithstanding, Durnnguwa’s confirmation did not come without opposition.

This time, it was the Minority Leader of the Senate, Biodun Olujimi, who raised some age issues in the nominee’s educational journey.

She vehemently argued that the nominee could not have finished primary school at the age of ten years in those days as stated in his CV.

She also raised objection to some other information in the nominee’s CV, saying that it would not have been possible for him to get the Grade II certificate and the National Certificate of Education (NCE) within the period stated in his credentials.

“Mr President, there is something intrinsically wrong in this and we need to sort it out before we pass it,” Olujimi said.

Some senators of the All Progressives Congress (APC), including Barau Jibrin (Kano) and Adamu Aliero (Kebbi) countered Olujimi, and accused her of playing partisan politics with the matter.

Aliero said the minority leader’s opposition was not necessary since the issues raised by her had already been addressed by the committee.

In his contribution, the Senate Leader, Ahmad Lawan, said the issues raised by Olujimi were not partisan as alleged by his colleagues.

He however, said the same issues were raised last week, and that he believed that the committee did due diligence on the matter as directed by the Senate.

Lawan said that he personally carried out a thorough investigation on the matter and found that the nominee scaled the hurdles needed for his confirmation.

After all views were taken by the Senate President, Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki, who presided over plenary, he then put the matter to a voice vote, and it was finally supported by majority of the lawmakers.