President Muhammadu Buhari has finally sent the name of Mrs Monica Dongban-Mensem to Senate for confirmation as the substantive President of the Court of Appeal.

This was disclosed in a brief statement by Mr Buhari’s spokesperson, Mr Garba Shehu, Monday afternoon.

“President Muhammadu Buhari, in-line with his constitutional responsibility has sent the nomination of Mrs Dongban-Mensem, Acting President, Court of Appeal to Senate for confirmation as President, Court of Appeal.

“Dongban-Mensem is a serving Justice of the Court of Appeal and was recommended, as is the practice, by National Judicial Council for the nomination by the President,” Shehu wrote.

Buhari had been widely criticized for failure to confirm Dongban-Mensem’s appointment, months after she was so nominated by the National Judicial Council.

Buhari approved that Mrs Dongban-Mensem continued in her position in acting capacity for another three months despite that the National Judicial Council has recommended she be confirmed as the substantive appeal court president.

The president’s refusal to confirm her substantively for the position of appeal court president had been criticised by many Nigerians including a widely respected retired colonel, Mr Abubakar Umar.

Umar accused President Buhari, a retired major-general, of putting Nigeria in danger by his “undue preference to some sections of the country over others” in national appointments.

PT