There was a mild drama on Tuesday when Senator Suleiman Kawu (NNPP, Kano South) raised a point of order, criticizing what he described as the premature removal of the Executive Director of the Midstream, Downstream, Gas Infrastructure Fund, Mansur Kuliya.
The Kano South lawmaker said that the sacking of Kuliya as Executive Director of the agency is unlawful, as he was not allowed to complete his five-year term, which began in 2022.
His position, he said, followed a letter by President Bola Tinubu read out by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, during plenary on Tuesday requesting the Senate to expeditiously confirm the sack of the Chairman of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Babatunde Irukera and to also confirm Oluwole Andama as the Executive Director of the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund in the Nigerian Midstream, Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority.
Akpabio thereafter, referred both requests by the President to the Senate Committee of the Whole and Senate Committee on Gas and Downstream to complete Adamu’s screening within one week.
Kawu said: “It is a Constitutional Order which is very common to us at the National Assembly. Section 4, vested the power to make laws for Nigeria.
“Based on this power vested in the national assembly, if we can remember the last assembly, the 9th Assembly, passed the Petroleum Industry Act which was one of the marvelous exercises of this legislative house.
