Senate rejects U.S.-based professor as electricity commission boss

The Senate has rejected the nomination of an American-based Nigerian professor, Akintunde Akinwande, as the head of the National Electricity Regulatory Commission.

Mr. Akinwande was rejected for his failure to attend confirmation hearing.

The decision was announced Tuesday.

Other nominees for whom confirmation was sought by President Muhammadu Buhari, were cleared by the Senate.

The development followed the presentation of the report of the committee on power, steel development and metallurgy on the screening of the nominees for leadership positions at NERC.

Sanusi Garba was confirmed Vice-Chairman, while Nathan Shatti and Moses Arigu were confirmed as commissioners, respectively representing North East and North Central.

Dafe Akpeneve was confirmed for South South; Frank Okafor, South East and Musiliu Oseni, South West.

The Senate resolved that Mr. Buhari should forward another nominee for the position of chairman of NERC.

In October, amid reports Mr. Akinwande had rejected his nomination for the NERC job, he told PREMIUM TIMES that “I did not reject the nomination of the president,” Mr. Akinwande said. “I had scheduling difficulties which I had informed the concerned parties about.

“It is shocking to see all the reports flying around the Nigerian media and I will tell you they’re all fiction.”