… Excuse Akume, Akpabio, Nwajiuba***
The Senate on Wednesday commenced the screening of the 43 ministerial nominees appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the list of the nominees was sent to the Senate on Wednesday in accordance with section 147 (2) of the 1999 Constitution.
President of the Senate, Dr Ahmad Lawan had announced that there would be two sessions for the exercise.
He said the morning session would commence by 10:00 a.m. daily and terminate at 1:00 p.m., while the second session would commence by 2:00 p.m. and end in the evening “depending on the mood of the Senate.”
Dr Uchechukwu Ogah, the nominee from Abia opened the floor by introducing himself to the lawmakers and requesting for questions.
Sen. Adamu Aliero (APC Kebbi) and Sen. George Sekibo (PDP Rivers) were the first to ask Ogah questions about the solutions to what they described as the slow economic growth and youth unemployment in the country.
Ogah, in his answer, identified building of critical infrastructure and agriculture as ways out of the current challenges.
Also read: Buhari’s Ministerial list: 8 ex-governors, 7 senators make amongst the 43
He said: “We need to improve our critical infrastructure, that’s the only way we can create jobs.
“We do not need to also concentrate our industries in the urban areas; we need to create industries in the rural areas.
“We cannot put our economy purely on oil. Yes, agreed that oil is a cash cow but we can develop our agriculture.
“Nigeria has the capacity to feed the whole world. Nigeria economy is about N43 trillion and the private sector is expected to drive the nation’s economy.”
On deregulation, Ogah said the country needed a guided deregulation where everything is not dumped on the economy.
He also insisted that the current value of the naira was okay.
Meanwhile, Sen. Philip Aduda (PDP FCT) had raised concern about the non-inclusion of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in the ministerial list.
He was backed by Sen. Dino Melaye (PDP Kogi) who referred to Sections 297 and 299 of the 1999 Constitution which mandated that the FCT be treated like other 36 states of the federation.
Debate on Aduda’s point of order delayed the commencement of the ministerial screening till 11:09 a.m. when Lawan finally put the issue to rest.
The Senate Leader, Sen. Abdullahi Yahaya (APC Kebbi), thereafter, moved for the Senate to receive the nominees, and the motion was seconded by Minority Leader, Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe (PDP Abia).
NAN reports that the nominees would be screened based on the availability of their curriculum vitae to the lawmakers, as announced by the senate president.
In the meantime, the Senate on Wednesday excused Mr George Akume — Benue and Mr Godswill Akpabio –Akwa Ibom — from the screening of the ministerial nominees.
The excuse is on the grounds that the affected have served the senate for a number of terms.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Sen. Emmanuel Orker-Jev (PDP-Benue), called on the Senate to maintain the tradition of allowing ranking senators nominated for ministerial positions to take a bow without being asked questions.
Senators who urged the Senate to accord their former colleagues the privilege include Deputy President Senate President Ovie Omo -Agege (APC -Delta) and Minority Leader Enyinnaya Abaribe (PDP-Abia).
Also asked to take a bow is Mr Emeka Nwajiuba, a member of the House of Representatives and a nominee from Imo.
The Senate had in a voice vote put across by the President of the Senate Ahmad Lawan resolved to allow the nominees go without being questioned.
Lawan in his remarks said that the nation would be better when the executive and the legislature work together in the interest of the people.
He urged the nominees to lead the vanguard that would result in the delivery of democratic dividends when they become ministers.
Akpabio, speaking with journalists after he was asked to take a bow, said that he would do his best to assist the government deliver on its obligations to Nigerians.
He said that there was the need to unbundle the Nigerian National Petroleum Commission (NNPC) for better performance of the oil sector.
He said that although it was the prerogative of the president to designate position, he would contribute maximally in any sector deployed to serve.
He said that Nigerians should encourage President Muhammadu Buhari to further deliver on the dividends of democracy by creating opportunities for youth employment.
