By Olugbenga Salami
Senate has approved President Bola Tinubu’s request for the removal of Babatunde Irukera as Chief Executive/Vice-Chairman of the Federal Competition and Consumer protection Commission, FCCPC.
Tinubu had on Monday, January 9, 2023 sacked both the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises, BPE, Alex Okoh, and the Executive Vice-Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, FCCPC, Irukera with immediate effect.
The Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC Ekiti Central), had explained through a motion to that effect informed his colleagues about executive communication from the President.
He said: “The Senate do consider the request of Mr. President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the removal of Chief Executive/Vice-Chairman of the Federal Competition and Consumer protection Commission (FCCPC) in accordance with Section 8(1)(bb) & (2) of the Federal Competition and Consumer protection Commission Act, 2018.”
Senator Osita Ngwu (PDP Enugu West) observed that Irukera has not completed his term of office.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, however, made him understand that it was not the duty of the Senate to question the President’s nomination, but to either approve it or reject it.
Akpabio then put the question for those who either supported or rejected the removal of Irukera as CE/VC, FCCPC boss and majority of the lawmakers, through voice vote, supported his sacking.
