Senate Holds A Minute’s Silence For Mobolaji Johnson, Jummai Balewa

The Senate has held a minute’s silence for the first military governor of Lagos State, Brigadier-General Mobolaji Johnson (rtd), and Jummai – the last surviving wife of former Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa.

The lawmakers paid tribute to Johnson and Jummai during Tuesday’s plenary at the upper chamber of the National Assembly in Abuja.

Mrs Jummai died on Sunday last week aged 85 while Brigadier-General Johnson died three days later at the age of 83.

A one minute silence was held in their honour during plenary, following two motions brought to the floor of the Senate by Senator Muhammad Bulkchuwa (Bauchi North) and Senator Oluremi Tinubu (Lagos Central) respectively.

The Senate also resolved to send a delegation to condole with their families and urged the Federal Government to immortalise Jummai.

Meanwhile, the lawmakers have confirmed the appointment of Justice John Tosho as the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court of Nigeria.

They also confirmed Justice Benedict Kanyip as the President of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria.

The Senate also confirmed 15 out of the 16 people nominated by President Muhammadu Buhari to the National Assembly for confirmation as board members of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

However, the nomination of Dr Joy Yimebe Nunieh to represent Rivers State on the board was rejected by the lawmakers.

Those confirmed are Dr Pius Odubu (Edo – Chairman), Bernard Okumagba (Delta – Managing Director), Otobong Ndem (Akwa-Ibom – Executive Director of Projects), Maxwell Oko (Bayelsa – Executive Director of Finance and Administration), Jones Erue (Delta), and Victor Ekhator (Edo).

Others are Nwogu Nwogu (Abia), Theodore Allison (Bayelsa), Victor Antai (Akwa-Ibom), Maurice Effiwatt (Cross River), Olugbenga Edema (Ondo), Uchegbu Kyrian (Imo), Aisha Muhammed (Kano), Shuaibu Zubairu (Adamawa), and Ambassador Abdullahi Bage (Nasarawa).

Presenting the report of the Senate Committee on NDDC, the Chairman, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, explained that the committee sent an invitation to Dr Nunieh twice to attend the screening exercise last week.

He informed his colleagues that the nominee on both occasions refused to appear before the panel for screening.

Senator Nwaoboshi also drew the attention of the Senate to the three-man Interim Management Committee to oversee the affairs of the commission.

He noted that Dr Nunieh was acting Managing Director of the committee while Dr Ojougboh and Etang were as acting Executive Director (Projects) and Executive Director (Finance and Administration) respectively.

In a committee of the whole, the lawmakers unanimously rejected the nomination of Nunieh.

In his remarks, the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, said there was no ambiguity in the matter.

“I don’t think we have anything to worry about, because this is something that is clearly established by the law,” he said.