Senate Confirms Dahir-Umar As PenCom DG Amidst Protest 

The Senate yesterday confirmed the appointment of Aisha Dahir-Umar, as the substantive Director General of the National Pension Commission Board amidst protests from some senators.
The Senate also confirmed the nomination of Dr Oyindasola Oluremi Oni from the North Central as Chairman of the board.
Other nominees confirmed were Clement Akintola (South-West); Ayim Nyerere (South-East) and Charles Emukowhale (South-South), as commissioners on the PenCom board.
The Senate, however, turned down the confirmation of Hannatu Musa (North-West) because she was unable to present her National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate.
Until her confirmation yesterday, Dahir-Umar who hails from the North-East geopolitical zone, held the position in acting capacity.
Members of the Minority Caucus in the Senate had, last week, sent a petition to the Committee on Establishment and Public Service, seeking the disqualification of Dahir-Umar as the substantive DG of PenCom.
The Minority Leader of the Senate , Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, who argued against Dahir-Umar’s confirmation, yesterday, insisted that since her predecessor, Mrs Chinelo Anohu-Amazu, did not complete her tenure, the position should be occupied by somebody from the South-East, where Mrs Anohu-Amazu, whose five-year tenure was truncated, hailed from.
Ruling on Abaribe’s argument, the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, said the constitutional provisions relied upon by those who were kicking against the DG’s appointment was not valid because the tenure of Anohu-Amazu’s board had expired before the appointment of Dahir-Umar.
It would be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari had, penultimate week, sent the name of Dahir-Umar and other members of the PenCom board to the Senate for confirmation.