Senate to probe appointment of new NYSC DG

The Senate Tuesday mandated its committee on Sports and Youth Development to investigate the appointment of a new Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Shuiabu Ibrahim.

The Chief of Army Staff, General Yusuf Buratai named Ibrahim few days ago to replace Brigadier General Suleiman Kazaure.

The committee was given a deadline of one week to report back to the Senate.

The upper chamber mandated the committee to establish if any law was violated in the appointment of the new NYSC boss.

The mandate followed a point of order raised by Senator Dino Melaye on the appointment of the new NYSC DG.

The Kogi West senator in his point of order claimed that there was an infraction by the Chief of Army Staff in the appointment of Kazaure.

He insisted that the appointment appeared to be contrary to the Act establishing the NYSC.

Melaye said: “NYSC Act Section 5 says there shall be a service to be heard by a person called the director-general to be appointed by the president.

“Surprisingly, the Chief of Army Staff removed the director-general through signal and through another signal appointed another one.

“The law doesn’t confer the power of appointing him on anybody, but the president. The last person and all other past persons were appointed by the presidents.

“If we allow this, the announcement of the Senate President can come from the Road Safety and replacement may come from the same Institution.”

Also a mild drama ensued in the chamber Tuesday between Saraki and Ahmed-Baba Kaita (Katsina North)

Observers said that the seeming clash was “a clash of interest” between the duo.

Senator Shehu Sani raised a point of order on the alleged kidnap of over 40 people along Kaduna–Abuja high way on Monday.

Sani told the Senate that the victims included the Chairman of the Universal Basic Education Commission, Dr Mohammed Mahmood Abubakar and his daughter.

He said, “Monday around 3:30.pm, bandits along Kaduna-Abuja expressway blocked the road and kidnapped over 40 people, including UBEC chairman.

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“The incident is a pointer to the fact that all the actions taken against kidnapping on that road are not working. We must note that the IGP launched Operation Puff Adar. That too seemed to have failed.”

He said that it appeared that all measures to deal with insecurity along Kaduna-Abuja expressway had failed.

Sani relied on under Order 42 of the Senate Standing Rules which deals with personal explanation.

The information by Sani appeared not to have gone down well with Kaita.

The Katsina North lawmaker sharply disagreed with Sani’s position on the issue.

He attempted to speak by also relying on the same Order 42 under which Sani spoke.

Saraki cut him short by insisting that he did not secure necessary approval from him (Saraki) in line with the laid down Senate standing rule and procedures.

Kaita who could not take Saraki’s ruling on the issue accused him of deliberately preventing him from speaking in the chamber.

He said, “This is the second time you (Saraki) are preventing me from speaking on this floor. I think this is deliberate and I will not take it Mr. President.”

Saraki fired back and insisted that he will only allow him (Kaita) to speak if he follows laid down procedure.

Saraki said: “The rules say that you should send the details of what you’re to discuss to the Senate President. If you follow the rules, I will allow you to speak. Gentleman, educate yourself with the rules.”

Kaita explained that he only wanted to point out that nobody should be allowed to play politics with the issue of security.

He noted that there was no doubt that the security situation in the country is degenerating by the day “but the Senate should pay more attention to ways and means to solve the problem.”