The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Joe Ohiani as the Director-General of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC).
The confirmation comes about a month after President Muhammadu Buhari sent an appointment notice to the Senate and requested confirmation.
The president, in a letter dated June 6, said his request was in accordance with the provision of Section 22(1)(a) of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (Establishment) Act, 2005.
Mr Ohiani’s confirmation was sequel to the consideration of a report of the Committee on Works.
The committee had screened him.
Chairman of the panel, Adamu Aliero (PDP – Kebbi Central), who presented the report, said the nominee was asked questions on the mandate of ICRC and how he would apply the knowledge and experience gathered over time to enhance the workings of the Commission.
The nominee, he said, responded “intelligently and provided satisfactory answers to all questions asked.”
In its recommendation, the committee stated that, “after careful and diligent assessment of the nominee’s extensive resume, performance during the screening exercise, knowledge, experiencer and character, the Committee considers him suitable for confirmation as the Director-General of the Infrastructure Regulatory Commission.”
Mr Ohiani is currently the Acting Director-General of the ICRC.
He studied law as his first and second degrees from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and Edo State University Ekpoma, respectively.
From 2015 to June 2016, he was the Director of the Contract Compliance Department. Between 2008 and 2015, he headed the Legal and Governance Unit of the commission which provides legal advice and opinions to various departments and units.
ICRC was established to superintend and regulate Public-Private Partnership (PPP) endeavours of the Federal Government of Nigeria aimed at addressing Nigeria’s physical infrastructure deficit which hampers economic development.
Members of the governing council of the ICC are the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Minister of Finance, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Director-General of the commission.
