…as Senate begins screening
Former President of the Nigeria Bar Association, NBA,Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu; former Governor of Osun State, Olagunsoye Oyinlola and former Managing Director of Nigerian Breweries Plc and immediate past Chairman of the National Population Commission, NPC, Festus Odimegwu, were among new ministers, whose names were forwarded to the Senate yesterday by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The president had forwarded an additional list of 15 nominees to the senate for screening and confirmation as ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in addition to the 21 names sent on September 31.
The list was transmitted to the Senate President, Bukola Saraki by the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, in company of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang and his colleagues in the House of Representatives, Abdurahman Sumaila.
The new list, which was submitted to Saraki in his office by about 4:24p.m brings to 36, the total number of nominees sent to the senate by the President for screening and confirmation.
The transmission of the ministerial nominees for screening and confirmation is in line with the provisions of section 147(2) of the 1999 constitution as amended.
Special Adviser to the Senate President on Media and Publicity, Alhaji Yusuph Olaniyonu, who confirmed the second list to newsmen explained that Saraki would not open the envelope until today during plenary when he was expected to read the list out to his colleagues.
However, our correspondent gathered that Odimegwu, Akeredolu and Oyinlola’s names were on the submitted list. Odimegwu is from Abia State, while Akeredolu and Oyinlola are from Ondo and Osun states respectively.
Meanwhile, the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions yesterday postponed further investigation on the petitions brought against the nomination of former Governor Rotimi Amaechi and Mrs. Amina Mohammed, as ministers.
Amaechi’s petition, written by the Port Harcourt- based Integrity Group, was submitted to the Senate by Senator George Sekibo (PDP Rivers South East), while the one against Mohammed written by a Kaduna based lawyer was submitted by Senator Danjuma La’ah, (Kaduna South).
While the integrity group sought the disqualification of Amaechi based on alleged mismanagement of N70bn Rivers State money as governor, Mohammed was accused of being nominated to represent Kaduna State when she is not an indigene.
Amaechi, who appeared before the panel in company with his former Commissioner for Information, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari and two members of the House of Representatives, informed the panel that the matter, upon which the petition against him was predicated, was already pending before a court of competent jurisdiction.
The panel chairman, Samuel Anyanwu, explained that, “since the case is already pending before a court, as a very responsible committee, it is in our rule that we will not entertain any matter before the court since it would be subjudice.”
Mohammed, who also appeared before the panel yesterday, having been summoned to defend the petition against her, urged the committee to disregard the allegations against her because she is not from Kaduna State, as contained in the petition.
She said: “I was brought up in Kaduna. My father lived there but I have no connection with Kaduna State.
I am indigene of Gombe State and the assumption is that I would be representing Gombe in the cabinet.”
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