UPDATED: Opposition Kicks, As Senate Unveils Buhari’s Ministerial Nominees

0
557
President of the Nigerian Senate
By Nuel Suji, Abuja. The Senate Tuesday formally unveiled a 21-man list of ministerial nominees sent to it by President Muhammadu Buhari, even as ‎Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) Senators questioned the list on the grounds that it failed to cover the 36 states as required by the constitution.Bukola Saraki Abubakar
Senate President Bukola Saraki at plenary opened the envelope that contained the list and subsequently read out the names.
Buhari had submitted the list late last Wednesday through his Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari and Senior Special Assistant, Ita Enang.
Among the 21 ministerial nominees whose screening would start from next week Tuesday as announced by the Senate President,   were former governors of Rivers State, Rotimi Ameachi, Lagos State, Babatunde Raji Fashola, Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, Anambra  State, Senator Chris Ngige and Abia State, Ogbonaya Onu who is now a nominee from Ebonyi State.
Others are . Abubakar Malami ( Kebbi State), Senator Hadi Sirika ( Katsina), Senator Aisha Alhassan ( Taraba), Lai Mohammed ( Kwara), Adebayo Shittu ( Oyo) , Solomon Dalong ( Plateau), Audu Ogbe ( Benue), Ahmed Ibeto ( Niger State),  Udo Udoma ( Akwa Ibom ) and Kemi Adeosun ( Ogun).

Also on the list are  the former Chief of Army Staff, Bello Abdulrahman Danbazzau ( Kano), the NNPC Group Managing Director, Ibe Kachickwu ( Delta ),  Osagie Ehamere ( Edo), Sulaiman   Adamu (  Jigawa   ), Amina Ibrahim ( Kaduna  ) and Ibrahim Usman  Jibril .

Akpabio who anchored his argument on constitutional point of order, cited sections 14(3) and  147(2) of the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria to urge the Senate to demand for the remaining list of the ministerial nominees from  President Buhari before approval of the nominees already sent.

According to him, since section 14(3) of the constitution states that every state of the federation must have a member in form of a minister at the federal cabinet, President Buhari should be called upon by the Senate to forward the remaining list for all to see in line with the constitutional provision. ‎

However the Senate President in his response, urged Akpabio and the other PDP senators to give President Buhari the benefit of the doubt , over his promise of bringing the remaining  list.

“Though your point of order is noted but Mr President being a man of his words and integrity, should be allowed time to forward the remaining list.

“He promised to forward the list in September and did fulfill it last Wednesday, the last day of September, and in the list I just read to us all now, Mr President said he would forward the remaining list in a short while, which I believe will be so”.‎

Also kicking against the ministerial list was the National Secretary of the Labour Party ( LP), Barrister Kayode Ajulo, who described the list as more or less , a mockery of Nigerians’ intelligence by the President.

Ajulo who spoke to through our correspondent regretted that after wasting four months, Mr. President emerged with the same set of people he has been working with.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here