THE Senate has, for the second time this week, deferred the screening
of former Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi. Also deffered is
that of the nominee from Oyo state, Mr. Adebayo Shittu.
They
will be screened next Tuesday alongside seven other nominees. The
remaining nine nominees will be screened next Wednesday and thereafter,
the 18 of them are expected to be approved and confirmed for
appointment.
On Wednesday, the Senate confirmed 18 of the 36 nominees, for which Senate President Bukola Saraki wrote President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, to officially inform him of the outcome of the exercise.
Meanwhile, the Senate received a petition against a nominee from Sokoto State, Aisha Abubakar.
Senator Ibrahim Gobir, APC, Sokoto East, who presented the petition, demanded replacement with a more competent person, saying the people of Sokoto State were yearning for a more competent person.
Saraki writes Buhari
Formally communicating President Buhari on the confirmation of 18 nominees for ministerial appointments, Senator Saraki, according to a statement by Mr. Yusuph Olaniyonu, his Special Adviser (Media and Publicity), sent an official letter through Senator Ita Enang, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Legislative Matters (Senate).
He informed the President that the Senate had found the 18 nominees, who have gone through its confirmation hearing, suitable to occupy the office of ministers as provided for in Section 147 (2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
Cleared
The nominees, whose appointment by the President have been confirmed are Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Chief Audu Ogbeh, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, Lt. Gen. Bello Danbazau (retd), Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Hajiya Amina Mohammed, Engr. Suleiman Adamu and Alhaji Ibrahim Usman Jibril.
Others are Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, Abubakar Malami (SAN), Dr. Chris Ngige, Senator Aishat Al-Hassan, Mr. Solomon Dalong, Mrs Kemi Adeosun and Senator Hadi Sirika.
… on Amaechi
Amaechi, who was among the first batch of 21 ministerial nominees President Buhari sent to the Red Chamber could not face the exercise on Tuesday and Wednesday due largely to non-submission of the report on petitions against him by the Senate Committee on Ethics and Petitions.
Chairman, Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Media and Publicity, Dino Melaye, told newsmen, yesterday that the former Director-General of Buhari Presidential Campaign Organization, would be screened with eight other nominees on Tuesday, when the Senate reconvenes.
He said:”Further screening and confirmation of the remaining ministerial nominees has been slated for Tuesday, next week.
“We are going to screen nine of them on Tuesday and the remaining nine would be taken on Wednesday. The confirmation of all the nominees would be taken on Wednesday.”
Speaking on Amaechi’s case, Senator Melaye said: “The committee has a one-line report that the matter is in court and that in compliance with our laid down rules and regulations, any case that is undergoing judicial remedy cannot be discussed.
“We have distanced ourselves from it and the report will be presented on Tuesday by the grace of God. I assure Nigerians that former Governor Rotimi Amaechi, by the grace of God, will be screened on Tuesday.”
The Order Paper of yesterday, which ought to have contained the names of Amaechi, Shittu and the remaining ministerial nominees, did not have them.
At the close of plenary on Wednesday, it was announced that Mr. Amaechi and Mr. Shittu would be screened yesterday but on resumption yesterday, the Senate postponed further screening of ministerial nominees to next week.
It would be recalled that the petition against Amaechi, bordering on corruption was not attended to by the Senator Samuel Anyanwu-led Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges because the case was still in court.
They
will be screened next Tuesday alongside seven other nominees. The
remaining nine nominees will be screened next Wednesday and thereafter,
the 18 of them are expected to be approved and confirmed for
appointment.On Wednesday, the Senate confirmed 18 of the 36 nominees, for which Senate President Bukola Saraki wrote President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, to officially inform him of the outcome of the exercise.
Meanwhile, the Senate received a petition against a nominee from Sokoto State, Aisha Abubakar.
Senator Ibrahim Gobir, APC, Sokoto East, who presented the petition, demanded replacement with a more competent person, saying the people of Sokoto State were yearning for a more competent person.
Saraki writes Buhari
Formally communicating President Buhari on the confirmation of 18 nominees for ministerial appointments, Senator Saraki, according to a statement by Mr. Yusuph Olaniyonu, his Special Adviser (Media and Publicity), sent an official letter through Senator Ita Enang, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Legislative Matters (Senate).
He informed the President that the Senate had found the 18 nominees, who have gone through its confirmation hearing, suitable to occupy the office of ministers as provided for in Section 147 (2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
Cleared
The nominees, whose appointment by the President have been confirmed are Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Chief Audu Ogbeh, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, Lt. Gen. Bello Danbazau (retd), Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Hajiya Amina Mohammed, Engr. Suleiman Adamu and Alhaji Ibrahim Usman Jibril.
Others are Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, Abubakar Malami (SAN), Dr. Chris Ngige, Senator Aishat Al-Hassan, Mr. Solomon Dalong, Mrs Kemi Adeosun and Senator Hadi Sirika.
… on Amaechi
Amaechi, who was among the first batch of 21 ministerial nominees President Buhari sent to the Red Chamber could not face the exercise on Tuesday and Wednesday due largely to non-submission of the report on petitions against him by the Senate Committee on Ethics and Petitions.
Chairman, Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Media and Publicity, Dino Melaye, told newsmen, yesterday that the former Director-General of Buhari Presidential Campaign Organization, would be screened with eight other nominees on Tuesday, when the Senate reconvenes.
He said:”Further screening and confirmation of the remaining ministerial nominees has been slated for Tuesday, next week.
“We are going to screen nine of them on Tuesday and the remaining nine would be taken on Wednesday. The confirmation of all the nominees would be taken on Wednesday.”
Speaking on Amaechi’s case, Senator Melaye said: “The committee has a one-line report that the matter is in court and that in compliance with our laid down rules and regulations, any case that is undergoing judicial remedy cannot be discussed.
“We have distanced ourselves from it and the report will be presented on Tuesday by the grace of God. I assure Nigerians that former Governor Rotimi Amaechi, by the grace of God, will be screened on Tuesday.”
The Order Paper of yesterday, which ought to have contained the names of Amaechi, Shittu and the remaining ministerial nominees, did not have them.
At the close of plenary on Wednesday, it was announced that Mr. Amaechi and Mr. Shittu would be screened yesterday but on resumption yesterday, the Senate postponed further screening of ministerial nominees to next week.
It would be recalled that the petition against Amaechi, bordering on corruption was not attended to by the Senator Samuel Anyanwu-led Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges because the case was still in court.
