Tinubu Urges Senate To Confirm Sack Of FCCPC Chairman

President Bola Tinubu has formally requested the Nigerian Senate to confirm the termination of Babatunde Irukera’s appointment as the chairman of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).

This request was conveyed in a letter read out by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during a plenary session on Tuesday.

In addition to this, President Tinubu has also sought the Senate’s confirmation of Oluwole Andama as the Executive Director of the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund in the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority.

The Senate President subsequently referred both presidential requests to the Senate Committee of the Whole and the Senate Committee on Gas and Downstream for further deliberation.

The move to confirm the dismissal of Irukera comes three weeks after the President relieved him of his duties as the head of FCCPC.

This action was part of a broader restructuring initiative aimed at enhancing the contributions of key agencies to the nation’s economy and protecting the rights of Nigerian consumers.

Also dismissed on January 8 was Alexander Okoh, the Director-General/CEO of the Bureau of Public Enterprises.

In a related development, President Tinubu had earlier suspended Dr. Betta Edu, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, amid allegations of misappropriation of N585 million.

Presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale stated that the two dismissed chief executives are to hand over to the next most senior officers in their respective agencies until new CEOs are appointed.

The Senate’s executive session on Tuesday also addressed urgent matters of national importance, with a focus on national security as hinted by Sen Godswill Akpabio.