Being Statement Read at a Press Conference by Rt. (Hon) Yissa Ezekiel Benjamin in Ilorin on the 18th November, 2016

 

Gentlemen of the press, I like to welcome you all to this press conference. I thank you for honoring our invitation inspite of the short notice.

1. As you may be already aware, on August 2nd 2016, I was nominated by President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, as a non-Executive Commissioner of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). I was nominated alongside other distinguished Nigerians. I consider this nomination an honour and for this alone, I extend my deepest appreciation to President Muhammadu Buhari for finding me worthy. I assure Mr. President that notwithstanding the outcome of the Senate screening, I will forever remain grateful to him for this rare gesture.

 

2. Like any other Nigerian, I read in the news yesterday that my nomination as a non-Executive Commissioner of the NCC was rejected by the Senate. The purported rejection is allegedly premised on the basis of my profession as a nurse, which according to the Senate, is inappropriate a professional qualification for a non-Executive Commissioner of the NCC.

 

3. To say the least, I am shocked and disappointed. Why am I shocked and disappointed? The reasons are not far-fetched.

 

4. On the one hand, I believe that by all intent and purposes, I met the requirements of law for the position of a Commissioner in the NCC. By virtue of Section 7 (1) (h), all that a Commissioner nominee of the NCC of my category has to possess is a ‘recognized standing and experience in public administration.” Therefore, by the reason of my education, pedigree, experience and exposure, I believe, with all sense of modesty, that I am eminently qualified for the position for which I was nominated.

 

5. I like to place it on records that I am proud to be a nurse, and if I had a second chance to choosing a profession in another life, I will not hesitate to settle for the cherished nursing profession again and again and again.

 

6. But beyond being a professional nurse who has put all his best to the service of his fatherland and rose through the ranks to the enviable position of a Deputy Director in the Kwara State Civil Service before retirement, I am also a certified graduate of Social Policy and Planning as well as an active pastor with a Bachelor of Theology to boot!

 

7. In terms of experience in the public service and administration, I was a Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly for four solid years; the Chairman of Conference of Speakers for two years, a Supervisory Councilor for two years and many other too numerous to mention. On every score, I have held all of these positions with integrity and without any blemish or controversies whatsoever.

 

8. On the other hand, I am disappointed because I expected that beyond my education and experience, I had reasonably expected that I would be accorded some level of legislative camaraderie, in the long standing tradition of the Nigerian Senate. As a former legislator, and a speaker for four years for that matter, I had hoped that I would enjoy the same level of privilege accorded other legislators – serving and former - who have recently come before the Senate for screening.

 

9. In the last two days, there have been talks around the metropolis that I am a victim of vicious politics by local politicians. Even personally, I have been inundated with talks about how the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, would stand in the way of my nomination for the reason that he did not nominate me, but I have brushed all these aside, trusting that if God accepted the nomination, no human, however highly placed, and however they try, could sabotage it. As a pastor with an unrepentant faith in the God that I serve, I have still not waivered on this conviction.

 

10. Gentlemen of the press, it is important to state for the records that the reasons why I have come out in the open today is not to apportion blame or point fingers but to first, thank our amiable President, Muhmmadu Buhari, for finding me worthy of this position, and second, for putting the records straight about my qualifications and experience which though were all placed before the Senate committee but were quite surprisingly relegated to the background in their reports for reasons best known to them.

 

11. On a final note, I am indebted to almighty God for making all of these possible. I know he has done this for a reason and as long as he still exists on the throne, I trust that he shall intervene sooner or later. I also thank my friends across the divides, traditional and religious rulers of my community and beyond, political stakeholders in Patigi Local Government Area and Kwara North in general. I thank all other people who have journeyed with me on this trip. 

 

God bless you all!

 

Signed

 

Yissa Ezekiel Benjamin

Former Speaker, Kwara State House of Assembly

18-11-2016