Ministerial nominees not pushovers–Ngige

A ministerial nominee of President Muhammadu Buhari and former Anambra State Governor yesterday said those on the list awaiting screening by the Senate are no pushovers.

Fielding questions from journalists at the State House , Abuja, after meeting with the President, Ngige noted that the ministerial nominees are people with cognate experience in governance and those who had been tested and trusted.

“If you look at the list very critically, you will observe Mr. President wants to go his voyage with people who have cognate experience in governance. When I mean cognate experience, we are talking of people who have been tested, tried and trusted by their people”

“I don’t think Nigerians should expect anything less than what Mr. President is already doing from that team”

“The team will help Mr. President to deliver on most of the promises he made to the Nigerian people much more quicker than is even envisaged because I don’t think there is anybody on that list that you can call a pushover in terms of governance”, Ngige said.

He said he was not perturbed by the criteria set by the Senate for the confirmation of the ministerial nominees .

According to him the Senate is made up of elder statesmen and women, and what they would do was in conformity to the laws of the land

“What they said they would do is in conformity with the laws of the land. That they would use constitutional requirements, which I just mentioned to you now; and they would also use Senate rules and they also say they would use tradition, bow and go which is a tradition”, Ngige said.

On criticism that portfolios were not attached to the names of the nominees, Ngige said the constitution does not specify that portfolios must be attached.

“The Constitution just prescribed that those to be appointed as ministers must have qualifications that will enable them to be members of the House of Representatives

“There is nothing there about not attaching portfolios. The other area of the Constitution is that each state should produce a minister. The President is taking it slowly according to his words.

“When people say he is baba go slow, he said yes, that he will go slow and steady and steadily we shall get there. In other climes like America and other developed world, they attach portfolios and that is what their constitution says”, Ngige said.

Elizabeth Archibong