The Senate on Thursday, confirmed Mohammed Durnnguwa as a commissioner for the National Population Commission (NPC).
The Senate had earlier withheld Mr Durnnguwa’s confirmation.
It resolved to stand down Mr Durnguwa’s confirmation after the chairman of the Senate Committee on National Identity Card and National Population Commission, Suleiman Hunkuyi (PDP, Kaduna North), complained that the committee found “discrepancies in the nominee’s credentials.”
The deputy senate president, Ike Ekweremadu, had directed the committee to carry out further investigations on the nominee and report back in four weeks.
Presenting the report, My Hunkuyi said the same methodology and screening was carried out for the nominee and findings of the last report left two items.
“We requested the nominee to come before the committee with those two letters,” he said.
He said the nominee presented “a letter from the ministry of education, Katsina where the secondary school he attended resides and another letter from the same secondary school, which he attended.”
“Those two letters were considered by the committee and the recommendation of the committee is that the committee is satisfied with the nominee. The nominee can hereby be confirmed by the senate.”
The minority leader, Biodun Olujimi (PDP, Ekiti South), thereafter, pointed out some “discrepancies” in the nominee’s certificate.
“There’s a need to look at the document. The candidate was born 1964 and he was able to finish his school cert in 1978.
“If you look at his Teacher’s Training Course (TTC), his Grade 2, he finished in ’84 and then he did the NDE almost immediately after and the gap between when he left school and when he did his NCE is almost 10 years.
“If he was very intelligent, he would not have done his NCE in 10 years and NDE, the same year. He did his NCE 1987, he did NDE 1987. He did B.ed 1995 and did NYSC 1995. There is something wrong with this and we need to sort it before we proceed,” she said.
The lawmakers were quick to rebuke her claims as most of them believe Mr Durnnguwa was fit for confirmation.
Barau Jubrin (APC, Kano North), accused lawmakers of playing politics with the issue.
“We should look at issues based on national interest. People are bringing politics into this matter. I’m surprised that our very respected minority leader is bringing this up,” he said.
He urged members of the senate to approve Mr Durnnguwa’s confirmation.
The recommendation was put to vote and the lawmakers unanimously voted for his confirmation.
Mr Durnguwa is a top chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC). He was the coordinator of the Nasir El-rufai Governorship Campaign in Kachia Local Government Area of the state in the last general elections.
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