Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Presidency has said that when it comes to making appointments upon the recommendations of other arms or agencies of the government, President Muhammadu Buhari is not a rubber stamp that will mechanistically sign on nominees presented to him.
According to a statement by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, Buhari has a duty to ensure that all such appointments meet the requirements of the constitution and protecting the supreme law of the land in this regard, adding that he has an obligation to allow law enforcement and security agencies to do their work.
Shehu said: “Don’t forget our recent experience with ministers who were signed up turned out as having not undertaken the the compulsory National Youth Service, just to give you an example.
“In the specific case of the Acting President of the Court of Appeal, Her Lordship Justice M. S Dongban-Mensem, the statutory regulatory time of her acting period has not lapsed. “This is not about ethnicity or religion. It about security and law enforcement agencies being allowed to complete their work. Nobody should seek to stampede the president in carrying out his constitutional duty in this respect.
“The president had not been a rubber stamp dealing with these matters before, and is not prepared to be one at this time. Let all allow the system to do what is right.”
President Buhari had a week ago, extended the appointment of M. B. Dongban-Mensem as the Acting President of the Court of Appeal (PCA) with effect from June 3 for a further period of three months.