• Senate rejects Kwara ex-Speaker, Yissa, Abubakar for NCC board
• Clears Durojaiye, Ararume, three others

The House of Representatives has called for immediate convocation of a national conference on security.

At the plenary presided by Speaker Yakubu Dogara, the lawmakers also directed the leadership of the House to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari to implore him to strengthen security, particularly in the North-West geo-political zone.

Urging the Department of State Services (DSS) to live up to its responsibilities in securing the country, they further reiterated their call on the federal and Kaduna State governments to declare a security emergency in southern Kaduna Senatorial District.

Calling for the establishment of a military battalion in Kafanchan or such other place in the district, the lawmakers urged both the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to provide relief materials to the victims of the attack.

In another development, the Senate has confirmed five and disqualified two nominees to the governing board of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) sent by President Muhammadu Buhari for consideration.

Adopting the report submitted by its committee on communications, which conducted the screening, the legislative upper chamber rejected the nomination of a former Speaker of Kwara State House of Assembly, Pastor Ezekiel Yisa Benjamin, and Mr. Saidu Abubakar as non-executive commissioners of the NCC.

Those confirmed were Sunday Dare (executive commissioner), Ifeanyi Ararume (non-executive commissioner), Clement Omeiza Baiye (non-executive commissioner) and Chief Okoi Obono Obla (non-executive commissioner).

The Senate has also confirmed some nominees as commissioners in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). They include Agbamuche Mbu (Delta), Prof. Okechukwu Ibeanu (Anambra), Ahmed Mu’azu (Gombe), Mohammed Kudu Haruna (Niger), Dr. Adekunle Ogunmola (Oyo) and Abubakar Nahuche (Zamfara).

It also confirmed the appointment of Justices Dauda Bage and Paul Galinje as Supreme Court justices.