Senate President Godswill Akpabio and his deputy, Barau Jibrin, have disagreed over the screening of former Senator Tijani Yahaya Kaura, before his confirmation as a board member of the South-South Development Commission (SSDC).

Naijaonpoint reports that President Bola Tinubu had nominated Kaura, who previously represented Zamfara north, to represent the north-west geopolitical zone on the SSDC board.

But speaking during plenary on Wednesday, the deputy senate President expressed criticism of the decision to subject Kaura to screening despite being a former senator and chairman on the committee of federal character.

According to him, the senate should confirm Kaura’s appointment without subjecting him to the standard vetting procedure as a former colleague.

He said: “The nominee was our colleague here. I don’t know why he went through screening. He should have been expressly given the nod.

“He chaired the committee on federal character and was one of us. So, it was an aberration to allow him to go through that process. Mr President, we should guard against this in the future.”

Responding, Akpabio acknowledged Kaura’s impressive credentials but defended the decision to go ahead with the screening process, saying “We will not apologise for it, but what is worth doing is worth doing well.

“I congratulate Very Distinguished Senator Kaura. I hope that he will bring value to the SSDC.”

Naijaonpoint understands that Kaura was eventually confirmed by the senate after a report by the committee on the SSDC found him qualified for the role.