The senator representing Kano South, Suleiman Kawu Sumaila on Tuesday protested the removal of the Executive Director of the Midstream, Downstream, Gas Infrastructure Fund, Mansur Kuliya, before the expiration of his five-year term in office.
Kawu described the sacking of Kuliya who was appointed as Executive Director of the agency in 2022 as unlawful.
His protest followed the request of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu seeking the Senate’s confirmation of Oluwole Adamu as Executive Director of the agency.
Tinubu’s request letter was read during plenary by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who immediately mandated the Committees on Gas and Petroleum Downstream to screen the new nominee and submit its report to the Senate within one week.
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Kawu said: “Somebody from my constituency was appointed Executive Director and the appointment is for a term of five years in accordance with 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 and 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 to respect it,” he said.
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 cognisance of his point of order.”
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