The Senate on Thursday confirmed the appointment of Abdulmalik Durnnguwa as commissioner in the National Population Commission (NPC).
The confirmation was sequel to the presentation of report by the committee on National Identity Card and National Population Commission by its Chairman, Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi.
Durnnguwa is from Kaduna. He is one of the 23 nominees whose names were sent by President Muhammadu Buhari to the upper chamber for screening and confirmation in April.
While others were confirmed on Thursday last week, Durnnguwa’s nomination was stood down due to issues challenging the authenticity of his West African Examination Certificate, WAEC.
On this premise, his documents were referred back to the Committee on National Identity Card and National Population Commission for further legislative action.
But while presenting his report, Hunkuyi said the nominee appeared before the committee with two letters on the areas for which the committee demanded clarification.
One of the letters, he said, came from the Ministry of Education, Katsina State, where the secondary school he attended was domiciled, while the other came from the school he attended.
Hunkuyi said the committee was satisfied with the contents of the two letters confirming that the nominee did genuinely obtain his O’Level certificate.
However, Durnnguwa’s confirmation did not come without certain arguments by the Minority Leader, Biodun Olujimi who raised another issue bordering on his age saying, he could not have finished secondary school at the age of 10 as stated in his CV.
The lawmaker affirmed that it was impossible for Durnnguwa to get the Grade II certificate and the National Certificate of Education (NCE) within less than 10 years after leaving secondary school.
In her words, “Mr President, there is something intrinsically wrong in this and we need to sort it out before we pass it,” she asserted.
This latest development did not go down well with some APC lawmakers who countered Olujimi, accusing her of playing politics with the matter.
But senate leader, Ahmed Lawan said the issues raised by Olujimi were not partisan as alleged by his colleagues.
Further, Lawan said the same issue was raised last week and that he believed committee did due diligence on the matter. And that an investigation he personally carried out on the matter also gave the nominee a clean bill of health.
Ruling on the matter, Senate President, Bukola Saraki, put the matter to a voice vote, and it was approved by the lawmakers.
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