Senate panel suspends screening of PENCOM nominee for holding dual positions

The senate committee on establishment and public service hassuspended the screening and reappointment of Charles Emukowhate as commissionerfor finance at the National Pension Commission (PENCOM). The decision, taken on Thursday, followed petitions allegingdual appointments and failure to render financial accounts. A petition was sent to the committee, accusing Emukowhate ofsimultaneously serving as a board member of the South-South DevelopmentCommission (SSDC) while holding office at PENCOM — a breach of public serviceregulations. In May, Emukowhate was nominated by President Bola Tinubu asa board member of the SSDC. In June, the senate confirmed the appointment of Emukowhateand others as members of the SSDC’s governing board. Cyril Fasuyi, chairman of the committee and senatorrepresenting Ekiti north, described the allegations as “serious and weighty”,saying the committee could not proceed with the screening until the issues werefully investigated. “These are serious and weighty issues. The committee cannotproceed with Mr Emukowhate’s reappointment until these allegations are fullyinvestigated,” Fasuyi said. He added that the committee also received reports indicatingthat PENCOM had failed to submit audited financial statements for the past fouryears. “The commission has not rendered any financial account forfour years. This raises deep concerns about transparency and financialstewardship,” he said. Following deliberations, the committee resolved to step downEmukowhate’s screening indefinitely pending a full investigation into theallegations of misconduct and financial negligence. Other nominees, including Opeyemi Agbaje, PENCOM’s boardchairman-designate, were, however, cleared after meeting all ethical andstatutory requirements. Fasuyi commended the cleared nominees for their competenceand integrity, adding that the senate remained committed to sanitising thepension sector and restoring public trust in the management of retirees’ funds. “The senate will not overlook any breach of law or ethicalstandard. We owe it to Nigerians to protect the integrity of publicinstitutions and ensure that those entrusted with pension funds are beyondreproach,” he added.

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