Senate approves 15 advisers for Buhari

The Senate yesterday approved the request of President Muhammadu Buhari to appoint 15 Special Advisers.

Buhari had in line with Section 251(1) of the Constitution requested the approval of the Senate to engage 15 Special Advisers as prescribed in Section 151 (2 – 3) of the Constitution.

Also, the Senate yesterday called for the review of the nation’s Foreign Policies to ensure greater respect for Nigeria in Africa.

This resolution followed a motion on the “50 years of the Economic Community of West  Africa States (ECOWAS), sponsored by the Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Senator Ike Ekweremadu.

The motion to congratulate ECOWAS at 40 and to review Nigeria’s contribution to the sub-regional body was co-sponsored by members of the Nigerian National Delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament from the Senate.

Ekweremadu lamented that Nigeria used to have a permanent position as the commissioner of finance and administration but has lost the position to Sierra Leone for no genuine reasons and “I believe that this thing needs to be restored.”

He added: “As it is today, Nigeria cannot even produce the President of the Commission. Nigeria admitted to a protocol that as long as we host ECOWAS institutions are here.

“We cannot produce the headship of this institution which is not correct because United States still produce the headship of IMF and World Bank and influence those that take over those positions whenever they become vacant.

“Nigeria over the years has not shown keen interest in the management of the funds of ECOWAS although she is the biggest contributor.”

Senate President David Mark in his contribution said it was unacceptable for other countries not to give Nigeria her right of place in the ECOWAS Commission.

He added that it was time for the nation to review her foreign policy in relation to ECOWAS now that some of the members have chosen to take the country for granted.

Mark said: “Clearly there is a problem with our foreign policy and I think we do need to review it. Not reviewing it in terms of Africa being the piece of our foreign policy but  at least in the implementation stage.

“I think we have not put in enough energy and determination to implement the foreign policy, the way we have articulated it on pages of papers.

“It is a shame that if we conceded truly that because we have the headship, we cannot then get any other commissioner.

“That will be a big shame because if we conceded that then we must do a proper thinking on it because it is unacceptable.

“The fact that the headquarters is here is an additional burden on us if anything else and we should be duly compensated for that.

“It should not be used against us because  we pay a lot of bills, electricity bill, water bill, painting the wall and other things, so we are contributing so much.

“As a big brother they should give us the due respect. We have been careful not to oppress the other countries in the subregion but we shouldn’t be taken for granted and they ride high on us and do what they want.”