Fred Odianosen-Itua, Abuja

The Senate, yesterday, confirmed the appointment of 37 nominees forwarded  by President Muhammadu Buhari, despite opposition mounted by the Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe.

The nominees were confirmed after the upper chamber considered the report of the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs.

It also confirmed the appointments of Dr. Frederick Ekwem, Commissioner, Imo and Abia and Dr. Jonah Madugu, Commissioner for Benue, Nasarawa and Plateau.

The confirmation of both appointments was sequel to the consideration and adoption of the report of the Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service.

Also, the Senate received a formal request from President Muhammadu Buhari to replace one of the members on the Federal Character Commission.

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The letter dated May 29,  was read by Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, on the floor during plenary, yesterday.

Meanwhile, Minister of Niger Delta Affairs and former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has rejected allegations by the Committee Chairman on Niger Delta Affairs, Peter Nwaoboshi, on claims that he wrote personal letters to him as Senate Minority Leader, requesting for Niger Delta Development Commission’s (NDDC) intervention projects in his senatorial district.

Nwaoboshi, at a press briefing last week, brandished some letters purportedly written to him by Akpabio, that his projects should be included in the budget of the NDDC.

Chief Press Secretary to Akpabio, Anietie Ekong explained that the said letters were addressed to the leadership of the Senate, contrary to Nwaoboshi’s claims.

“Senator Peter Nwaboshi’s press briefing in which he alleged that my boss had written to him as a member of the Committee on Niger Delta to request for NDDC  contracts to the tune of N500 million is false. Nothing could be further from the truth,” he said.

Instead, he urged Nwaoboshi to respond to some of the grievous allegations made against him by the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of NDDC, that he wreaked the Commission’s budget apart for his personal benefits.