TheCable

Akintunde Akinwande, the nominee of President Muhammadu Buhari for chairman of the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), on Thursday failed to appear before the senate committee on power for screening.

It was also learnt the Akinwande also failed to appear before the Department of State Services (DSS) for security screening, a strong indication that he has rejected the appointment,  according to THISDAY.

This development is coming after Pauline Tallen and Usman Bugaje rejected their ambassadorial nominations.

TheCable had reported in July that the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) professor had been preferred to Supo Sasore, thought to be the choice of the minister of works, housing and power, Babatunde Fashola.

Enyinnaya Abaribe, the chairman of the senate committee on power, said that since the nomination of Akinwande was made about three months ago, the presidency ought to have checked his level of preparedness.

While suspending the screening exercise, he explained that it was impossible to screen other nominees in the absence of the chairman-designate.

The chairman further said that the privatisation of the electricity sector was meant to improve the power sector and the inauguration of the NERC board was key in playing a major role to that end.

“Regrettably, when members of the committee assembled to screen the nominees made by President Buhari, we were told that the chairman-designate was unavoidably absent. The presidential liaison who brought the nominees informed us that the chairman was unavoidably absent,” he said. “The commission is vital and cannot function without a chairman.”

Other nominees to the NERC board are Sanusi Garuba (vice chairman nominee), Nathan Shatti, Moses Arigu, Dafe Akpeneye, Frank Okafor and Musiliu Oseni.