A fresh storm is brewing in the Senate after last Thursday’s rejection by Senate President Bukola Saraki of the appointment of Alhaji Mohammed Sani-Omolori as Acting Clerk of the National Assembly.
Saraki’s action have pitched him on a collision course with National Assembly Service Commission which made the new appointment.
Also, many Senators are shocked by Saraki's action which they saw as unnecessary.
Saraki had ordered the withdrawal of the letter of the appointment to the new Clerk because, according to him, the Commission sidetracked due process in taking the decision.
Many senators said Saraki and his chief of staff did not even consult anyone, but acted on their own.
“When the news broke on Friday, many of us were hearing about the correspondence for the first time. The issue of who becomes the Clerk of the National Assembly is strictly the business of the civil service and there is a commission in charge of such matters,” a senator told The Nation.
“To tell you the truth, the last is yet to be heard of that matter. Many of us will not support such interference. And already, questions are being asked as some of the principal officers are also saying they were not aware of the decision to reject the appointment,” he added.
A Principal officer of the Senate said Saraki’s letter rejecting Sani-Omolori’s appointment was not discussed with other principal officers before it was sent to the commission.
“The issue will be revisited once we return next week (this week)," he stressed.
The Nation also learnt that some Senators and House of Reps members from Sani-Omolori’s home state of Kogi, are also not in agreement with the Senate President’s position on the matter.
A well placed source said Saraki’s letter was the culmination of weeks of intrigues over who becomes the acting clerk of the National Assembly.
While Saraki had wanted Efeturi all along, and had done everything possible to ensure his emergence, it was learnt that the commission for certain reasons, decided to give the position to Sani-Omolori.
The source said, “One major reason why Efeturi didn’t get the job was that he was not properly appointed as the deputy Clerk. Sani-Omolori’s appointment is in a bid to correct past politicisation of purely civil service procedures. The commission was well guided in its choice and that will be proven soon.”
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