By Danlami Nmodu
President Muhammadu Buhari has nominated Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, Acting President, Court of Appeal for confirmation as President, Court of Appeal.
Senior Media Assistant to President Buhari, Garba Shehu, who disclosed this in a statement Monday also said the president has sent the nomination to the Senate for confirmation.
Shehu’s statement reads: “President Muhammadu Buhari, in-line with his constitutional responsibility has sent the nomination of Her Lordship, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, Acting President, Court of Appeal to the Senate for confirmation as President, Court of Appeal.
Justice Dongban-Mensem is a serving Justice of the Court of Appeal and was recommended, as is the practice, by the National Judicial Council for the nomination by the President.”
Newsdiaryonline learnt that Buhari’s nomination of Dongan-Mensem has elicited joy and commendation from across the country.
“I pray this is the beginning of the reunification of the country. The real Buhari I know, is coming out, with this nomination”, a political watcher told Newsdiaryonline
It could be recalled that interest in Memsem’s appointment was heightened less than 24 hours earlier when the presidency urged critics not to stampede Buhari, insisting the President was not anybody’s rubber stamp.
it could be further recalled that former Governor of Kaduna State, Colonel Abubakar Umar ( rtd) in a famous open letter to the president also recently canvassed the confirmation of Mensem as President, Court of Appeal, as part of a process towards national healing.
While reacting to critics yesterday, the Presidency said in a statement by Shehu that: “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 is 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.”
He added, “In making appointments upon the recommendations of other arms or agencies of the government, the President is not a rubber stamp that will mechanistically sign off on nominees that come before him.
“The President has a duty to ensure that all such appointments meet the requirements of the constitution and in protecting the supreme law of the land in this regard, he has an obligation to allow law enforcement and security agencies to do their work.
“Don’t forget our recent experience with ministers who were signed off upon and turned out as having not undertaken the the compulsory National Youth Service, just to give you an example,” the presidency said.
