From FRED ITUA, Abuja
One week after Senate President, Bukola Saraki officially acknowledged a letter from acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, which nominated Justice Samuel Walter Onnoghen as the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), his confirmation hearing will commence today.
At plenary, yesterday, Saraki urged his colleagues to attend the confirmation hearing and also pleaded with them to be punctual.
He said the confirmation hearing will commence at about 11:00am today and may disrupt other legislative businesses.
“The confirmation hearing of Onnoghen, will take place on Wednesday, March 1 of March, 2017 in plenary. Kindly endeavour to be punctual, please.”
According to Senate procedure, the lawmakers can refer any nomination to its relevant committees and, in this case, the Committee on Judiciary and Human Rights for screening, and await its report before going ahead with the confirmation, in plenary.
Senate can also decide to conduct the screening and confirmation at the Committee of the Whole, in plenary.
With Saraki’s announcement, Senate has, however, opted to adopt the latter and confirm Onnoghen at the Committee of the Whole.
Saraki had, on Februar 21, 2017, read a letter from Osinbajo, seeking the confirmation of Justice Onnoghen as the CJN.
Onnoghen has been in office, in an acting capacity, since November 10, 2016 and his acting tenure ended on February 10, 2017.
Before then, there was pressure on President Muhammadu Buhari, to forward his nomination to the Senate, for confirmation as the substantive CJN.
The National Judicial Council (NJC), which had nominated Onnoghen for the position, re-nominated him on February 9, a day before the expiration of his three-month tenure.
Osinbajo’s letter to the Senate which was read in plenary, read: “Following the recommendation of the NJC, I, hereby, notify you of the appointment of Onnoghen as Chief Justice of Nigeria.
“The Senate President is requested to kindly present the said appointment of Onnoghen for confirmation by the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, pursuant to section 231 (1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
At the height of the controversy over a delay in sending Onnoghen’s name to the Senate, members of Cross River State caucus in both chambers of the National, alleged that Buhari’s delay in sending Onnoghen’s name to the Senate was fueling growing sentiment in certain quarters. that he was being frustrated because he is from a preferred part of the country.
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