Senate confirms appointment of US prof as NERC chairman

The senate has approved the appointment of James Momoh as the chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

Momoh is a professor of electrical engineering and computer science; and director of Energy Services and Controls at Howard University, United States of America.

The upper legislative chamber approved his appointment during plenary on Tuesday.

President Muhammadu Buhari nominated Momoh for the position in April last year but the approval for his appointment had been pending, partly because of the embargo on confirmation of presidential nominees that was placed by the senate.

Akintunde Akinwande, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US, had rejected the appointment.

Buhari had transmitted his name to the senate last year, but he failed to appear before the upper legislative chamber on two separate occasions.

Akintunde did not also go to the Department of State Services (DSS).

He was eventually replaced.

The senate has also approved the appointment of Anthony Ojukwu as the executive secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

His appointment was confirmed during plenary on Tuesday.

Ojukwu was appointed in December but the confirmation of his appointment was also delayed by the senate following a dispute between the executive and the upper legislative chamber.