Nasarawa Assembly Declines Screening Of Ex-Commissioner, Grills 7 Nominees
The Nasarawa State House of Assembly has postponed the screening of Hon. Yakubu Kwanta, the former Commissioner for Environment, for the position of Commissioner due to alleged insubordination. The suspension follows Kwanta’s failure to appear before the House Committee on Environment to defend his ministry’s 2024 budget performance during his tenure.
The Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Danladi Jatau, emphasized that Kwanta’s failure to appear before the House after the oversight issue was an affront to the legislative institution that had confirmed him as Commissioner twice.
The matter was raised on Monday when Hon. Muhammed Adamu Omadefu, representing Keana Constituency and chairman of the House Committee on Environment, brought up the issue during the screening of the other commissioner-nominees forwarded by Governor Abdullahi Sule.
Omadefu stated, “Honourable Speaker and my honourable colleagues, the nominee, Hon. Yakubu Kwanta, the immediate-past Commissioner for Environment, failed to appear before our committee to defend his ministry’s budget. For his failure to appear and explain, he should tender a strong apology before we consider him for screening.”
In response, the Speaker announced that Kwanta’s screening would be suspended until he issued an apology to the Assembly.
Despite this, the Assembly proceeded to screen seven out of the 16 commissioner-nominees submitted by Governor Sule on February 10. The nominees screened included Hon. Umar Tanko Tunga (Awe LGA), Dr. John DW Mamman (Kokona LGA), Hajiya Munirat Abdullahi (Doma LGA), Mr. Gabriel Agbashi (Doma LGA), Barr. Isaac Danladi (Karu LGA), Princess Margret Itaki Elayo (Keana LGA), and Dr. Ibrahim Tanko (Keffi LGA).
The Speaker congratulated the nominees, urging them to carry out their responsibilities with integrity and the fear of God if confirmed and sworn in as members of the Nasarawa State Executive Council.
