After two days of rigorous screening, the Senate yesterday approved the nomination of the former governor of Lagos, Babatunde Fashola; his Ekiti counterpart, Kayode Fayemi, former army chief, Abdulraham Dambazau ,and 15 others as ministers.
The Senate also deferred the screening of former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi screening to today on the grounds that the report of the Committee on Ethics and Privileges was not ready.
Also confirmed yesterday were Senator Udoma Udo-Udoma, Chief Audu Ogbeh, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, Dr Osagie Ehanire, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Mrs Amina Mohammed, Sulaiman Adamu Ibrahim Usman Jibril, senators Aisha Alhassan (Taraba) and Chris Ngige (Anambra), Hadi Sirika, Kemi Adeosun (Ogun), Abubakar Malami, SAN, (Kebbi), Solomon Dalong (Plateau), and Ibe Kachikwu (Delta).
The screening of the remaining 18 nominees will continue today. Those to be screened today are Rotimi Amaechi, Adebayo Shittu, Khadija Bukar Abba Ibrahim, Claudius Omoleye Daramola, Professor Anthony Anwuka, Geoffrey Onyeama, Brig. Gen. M.M. Dan-Ali (retd), James E. Ocholi, Zainab Shasuna Ahmed and Okechuku Enelamah.
Others are Muhammadu Bello, Mustapha Baba Shehuri, Aisha Abubakar, Heineken Lokpobiri, Adamu Adamu, Professor Isaac Adewole, Pastor Usani Usani Uguru and Abubakar Bwari Bawa.
Buhari withdraws Ibeto’s nomination
Before the commencement of the screening yesterday, Senate President Bukola Saraki read a letter from the president announcing the withdrawal of the nomination of Musa Ibeto and replacing him with Abubakar Bawa Bwari. No reason was given for the withdrawal.
First to be grilled yesterday was former governor of Lagos State, Fashola, who was asked to give an account of his stewardship as the number one citizen of Lagos.
In his responses, Fashola explained how he was able to restructure Lagos State and increase the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). He argued that that healthy competition was one way through which states in Nigeria could look inward to generate more funds and rely less on the federal government. He also spoke on security, national planning and decentralization of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF).
“As governor of Lagos State, I did not sign any cheques. My commissioners did not sign cheques. I was trained as a lawyer. Everyone’s role was defined. I did not sit during the award of contracts. Throughout my tenure, I was confronted with the prices of things. Nobody has alleged that I illegally enriched myself. The concept of loyalty is very strange. May our loyalties never be tested. I always pray that my loyalty be not tested. We discuss it loosely. All my life, nobody has ever accused me of giving my word and reneging on it,” he explained.
The NNPC GMD, Mr. Ibe Kachikwu, while fielding questions from senators, spoke on the fuel subsidy regime, Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), the restructuring the existing refineries and corruption in the oil and gas sector.
On why refineries are not producing at optimal capacity, he said: “Over the last 10 years, we have not really done a serious shutdown routine maintenance on the refineries. Most of these refineries are 30 years old and above. Refineries have a lifespan of 50 to 60 years if you continue to maintain them constantly; but lack of maintenance has shut them down to a point where they cannot work. And our engineers have done a fantastic work to tinker, like mechanics, with every little part of the refinery to keep it going.”
“The cost of imported products is exorbitant. And at the end of the day, the landing costs of imported products are far more than the authorised sale prices of these products.”
“We have to get the refineries to work, shut down the ones that can’t work and get them maintained so that they can work better and build strategic reserves. The long term solution is to privatize, as much as we can, the whole rudiment of downstream sector performance because, once you do that, people will go into the business for profit; they will do investments that are required for long-term basis and you find solidity in terms of availability of these products.
“What we are doing right now is do an interim, holistic but firm and focused management in the sector to ensure that our citizens do not suffer.”
Speaking on the kerosene subsidy, he said: “Kerosene is a different ball game. You will notice that only NNPC, for now, imports kerosene. And that is because the sale prices are such that nobody can bring in kerosene and make money. As a matter of fact, 50 percent of NNPC’s subsidy charges come from the importation of kerosene. So, the first thing is, how do you get kerosene easily available? If the refineries, we’ll produce more kerosene. If you begin a good deforestation and afforestation programme, you can begin to slide our people away from kerosene.
“And so, it is absolutely essential that gas goes all over the country. Next year, we are having a programme we are going to launch that will give free cylinders to every Nigerian citizen. Once we do that, we begin to say, how do we get gas to nearby depots closer to the people because, once we do that, we begin to move out from kerosene. But until we do that, kerosene is still the bread and butter of the average Nigerian family in terms of cooking.”
Malami (SAN) during his screening responded to questions on the administration of the criminal justice system. He was also queried on how he would speed up the court processes for cases of Nigerians awaiting trial in the various prisons across the country.
In his responses, he promised do everything within the ambits of the law to deliver on the campaign promises of President Buhari.
Dr Ngige, who served as a senator between 2007 and 2015, did not encounter any serious scrutiny when he appeared before the Senate for screening. He was only questioned by the Senate president, Saraki, after which he took a bow and left the chamber.
Alhassan, who equally served as a senator before contesting as governor of Taraba State during the last general election, was not grilled. Like Ngige, she was briefly questioned by the Senate president after which she took a bow and left the chamber.
Dalong, while reacting to questions bordering on prison reforms and decongestion posed to him by lawmakers, took his time to explain in details what he would do if appointed minister of Interior.
Adeosun from Ogun State, who took the hot seat after Dalong, expressed her willingness to serve and contribute her quota to national development. She was bombarded with questions relating to the management of the economy. She was also queried on how she would advise the government in exploring alternative sources of income. In her responses, she assured the lawmakers that nothing would be left to chance in ensuring that the economy is put in the right path.
Unlike senators Ngige and Alhassan, Sirika who is a former lawmaker was not asked any questions. He was told to take a bow, after which he left the chamber.
LEADERSHIP checks revealed that the Senate could extend its sitting till Friday, October 16, 2015, in other to screen and confirm the remaining 18 nominees.
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