Akwa Ibom senators withdraw petition against Yuguda’s nomination as SEC DG

Representatives of Akwa Ibom State in the Senate have withdrawn their petition against President Muhammadu Buhari’s nomination of Lamido A. Yuguda as Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The senators, who are all members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bassey Akpan (Akwa Ibom North-East), Christopher Ekpenyong (Akwa Ibom North-West) and Akon Eyakenyi (Akwa Ibom South), had challenged Yuguda’s nomination on grounds that President Buhari refused to nominate Mary Uduk, who hailed from the state and was Acting Director-General of SEC.

A report of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, revealed that the lawmakers had sought Senate’s intervention to ensure that Akwa Ibom was not further marginalised in federal appointments.

Chairman of the Committee, Ayo Akinyelure explained that the senators found it disheartening that Uduk who was qualified for the position, having represented the country at the West African Capital Market Integration Council (WACMIC) and International Organisation of Securities Commission (IOSCO) was sidelined.

He, however, said following the committee’s move to investigate the concerns raised by the lawmakers in the petition to the Senate, the petitioners and respondents met and resolved the matter.

Akinyelure said the resolution between both parties led to the withdrawal of the petition by the three lawmakers led by Akpan.

Sam Egwu (PDP, Ebonyi North), in his contribution, urged the Federal Government to consider Akwa-Ibom in future appointments in view of the withdrawal of the petition.

But Adamu Bulkachuwa (APC, Bauchi North), said consideration of the report of the Ethics Committee was not necessary, as the senators had withdrawn the petition.

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, however, observed that there was a procedural issue, which made it mandatory for the committee to submit the report despite the petitioners’ withdrawal of the petition

MEANWHILE, the Nigerian Navy NNS Jubilee has destroyed 15 militant camps in its area of jurisdiction in Akwa Ibom and some parts of Rivers State.

Commander, NNS Jubilee, Commodore Abdulmajid Ibrahim, disclosed this at the Jubilee Base in Ikot Abasi Council, saying the camps were destroyed during its anti-piracy and anti-sea robbery operations, adding that their destruction was facilitated by the Navy’s penetration of some of the 1,800 creeks within its jurisdiction.

Ibrahim said between May 2020 and January 2021, the Navy destroyed 15 militant camps, arrested 17 piracy and sea robbery suspects, as well as seized 285,000 litres of illegally refined petrol and different kinds of ammunition.