CSOs Threaten Legal Action Over NEDC MD, Board Appointments

A coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to within 72-hours reverse the appointment of board members of North East Development Commission (NEDC) and the managing director, or face legal action.

The CSOs made the call in a press statement by their leaders including secretary, Coalition of Civil Society Groups, Abubakar Ibrahim; President, First Alliance Group, Olumide Kingsley Egbeola; Convener, Centre for Public Accountability, Akindele Oluwafemi; President, African Leadership Strategy and Transparency Development Initiative, Nelson Osaize; and President, Northern Nigeria Good Governance Forum, Ibrahim Sule.

In the statement read during a press briefing held in Abuja, the coalition said Buhari’s directive to bypass the senate’s confirmation of the board and managing director of NEDC was a deliberate affront to the constitution and subverting the process of appointing public office holders, therefore, declared it is unconstitutional.

“Our attention has been drawn to the recent unconstitutional role played by Mr. President in the recent appointment he did barely a few days to handover.

“We are worried that, why the hurry in confirming an appointment made by him without the senate ratifying the same as laid down by appointment procedure stated in Section 147 of the constitution, such appointments made by the president and not confirmed by the senate shall be null and void.

“This breach of constitutional provisions will not stand. We condemn the action of the outgoing president in the strongest term. The action is condemnable and unacceptable.

“We declare that the new board must be cleared by the Nigerian Senate before they resume and therefore call on President Buhari to reverse his earlier decision ordering them to resume officer without the clearance of the Nigeria Senate and allow a senior officer in the commission to hold sway pending the confirmation of the newly appointed managing director and Chief executive officer and other board members.

“We thus see the recent declaration and directive to resume office without Senate confirmation as autocratic, undemocratic, and above all reminds us of a Military regime which should not be brought into any democratic process.

“This directive for the new Board and Managing Director of NEDC appointed by President Buhari to resume office without confirmation from the Senate is wrong and should not stand,” they said.