Abuja — Acting President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday sent to the Senate his first set of executive communications, two weeks after the National Assembly passed the historic resolution empowering him to step in the saddle.

Jonathan sent a letter seeking the confirmation by the Senate of the appointment of the chair and members of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB). He also sent a draft of the 2010 budget of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) administration. He said he was relying on Section 153 (1) of the 1999 Constitution in seeking the confirmation of appointment of the CCB chair and members.

In the letter read by Senate President David Mark, under "announcement" before yesterday's plenary, Jonathan said: "Paragraph 1, part 1A of the THIRD SCHEDULE of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provided that the Code of Conduct Bureau shall comprise the following: (a) A chairman; and (b) Nine (9) other members each of whom at the time of appointment, shall not be less than fifty years of age and, subject to the provisions of Section 157 of this Constitution, shall vacate his office on attaining the age of seventy years.

"Section 152 (1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria also provides that the Chairman and Members of the Bureau shall be appointed by the President subject to the confirmation by the Senate. In this connection, there are vacant positions of Chairman and eight members of the Bureau.

"I have, therefore, in the exercise of the powers conferred on me by Section 154 (1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, decided to appoint the under listed as Chairman and Members of the Code of Conduct Bureau:

"Chairman, Mr. Sam Saba, Ibrahim Manzo, Chief Stephen F. Bekefula, Ambassador Habib O. Elabor, Dr. (Mrs) Christaina Ekoja Okwori, Alhaji Disina Mohammed, Prince Okechukwu Ikechi Nwadinobi and Dr. Ademola Adebo as members."

Saba was, until his nomination as chair of the CCB, the Secretary of the Bureau. Jonathan's second letter, entitled: "2010 Draft FCT Statutory Budget Proposal" and transmitted to the Senate pursuant to Section 299 of the 1999 Constitution, was also read by Mark.

Section 299 of the Constitution vests legislative powers to consider and pass the budget proposal of the FCT administration in the National Assembly. Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Information, Ayogu Eze, while briefing Senate correspondents after plenary, said: "The Acting President has started exercising his powers as Acting President; his first communication has been received by the Senate."