Drama in Senate as Kawu opposes Tinubu’s sack of Kuliya

Drama in Senate as Kawu opposes Tinubu’s sack of Kuliya

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.

“Somebody from my constituency was appointed Executive Director and the appointment is for a term of five years by the provision of section 34 (2), 5, and section 36 (1) of the Petroleum Industry Act.

“This started in March 2022 and it was the Senate who confirmed him there are so many provisions in the Act that if for any reason, he will be removed or replaced, there must be a process and a procedure in line with our laws and constitutions.

“Therefore, I’m drawing the attention of the Senate that the appointment or the gentleman who is serving his term, was not served with any letter of disengagement or there was no correspondence from anybody but he just heard that he was removed.

We made this law, it is our responsibility to respect it,” he maintained.

Akpabio, responding to Kawu, urged the committees to look into Kawu’s claims and make recommendations to the Senate for further legislative action.

He said, “The two Committees on Gas and Downstream, when you are deliberating, please take cognizance of his point of order.”