By Haruna Salami
Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Wednesday screened nominees for Chairman and members of board of National Human Rights Commission, NHRC.
Those screened include Dr. Salamatu Hussain Suleiman, (Chairman) with the following members: Mrs. Beatrice Jedy-Agba,mni, Mrs. Dafe T. Adesida, Ahmad Abubakar Fingila, Kemi Asiwaju-Okeyonda, Abubakar Mohammed, Femi Okeowo and Sunny Daniel.
Others are Barr. Agabaidu Chukwuemeka Jideani, Nella Andem-Rabana (SAN), Mazi Azubuike Nwakwenta,Jamila Isa, Idayat Omalara andAnthony Ojukwu, Executive Secretary.
Chairman of the Committee, Opeyemi Bamidele said there was no petition against any nominee, adding, he allowed all nominees to speak in order to showcase the quality of persons President Buhari has nominated.
“Some of us have to work hard in the past National Assembly to move the budget of NHRC from N600 million a few years ago to about N3 billion now, which is still inadequate
He also said the NHRC Bill is being amended to strengthen the Commission. The public hearing on that amendment has been held already.
However, Senator Ajibola Bashiru, Senate spokesperson, bitterly complained that a situation where some states have two nominees on the board of NHRC, and his own state (Osun) has none was not fair.
