The Senate says it has postponed its annual recess to Monday, July 31, after the screening and confirmation of President Bola Tinubu’s ministerial nominees.
The decision to amends the rules to postpone the recess was reached after the upper chamber received the list of ministerial nominees from Femi Gbajabiamila, the chief of staff to Tinubu.
The Senate did not exhaust the activities on the order paper for Thursday when the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central) moved for a motion to adjourn the plenary to another legislative day, Monday.
Shortly after plenary, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu (APC, Ekiti South) in a press briefing assured journalists that the screening will be very thorough.
He affirmed that the Senate will examine character, background, and achievement of all nominees, and Nigerians will not be disappointed with the 10th Senate.
“On Monday we are not supposed to have parliamentary sittings and we are supposed to go on break but we have suspended it all because this is a crucial matter,” he said.
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“Monday we are starting the screening at 11 am and we are not giving ourselves a limited time, no time frame will be allocated to any nominee. If it will take 3 hours, let it take 3 hours. If it will take days, let it take days.
There will be thorough screening, and if we find any red flag, we will deal with that issue.”
Adaramodu said the nominees will come forward with their resume and the activity won’t be a shadow screening where the CV doesn’t tally with the owner’s character.
“They must have good character and have the mobility,” he added.
“Leader must know something about everything, so when we ask them questions, they must have answer. We are looking for ministers that must know everything. We will not manufacture questions or allegations, but whoever has anything from his constituency will forward their question.”
Few hours to the expiration of the 60-day deadline prescribed by the constitution, President Bola Tinubu on Thursday sent the list of 28 initial nominees to the Senate for screening and confirmation of appointments.
The Senate, after approving the votes and proceedings of the previous legislative day, had invoked relevant sections of its Standing Rules, to receive the Chief of Staff to the President, to deliver the communication.
Prominent nominees on the list include four former governors -Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State; Nyesom Wike of Rivers; Muhammad Badaru Abubakar of Jigawa and David Umahi of Ebonyi, who is presently the Deputy Leader of the Senate.
Others are the Deputy National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Senator Abubakar Kyari; National Woman Leader of the party, Dr. Beta Edu; legal luminary, Barrister Lateef Fagbemi, SAN; and the Special Adviser on Media, Communication and Special Duties to the President, Dele Alake.
Also on the list are Abubakar Momoh, Ambassador Yusuf Miatama Tukur, Arch. Ahmed Dangiwa, Barrister Hannatu Musawa, Chief Uche Nnaji, Dr. Betta Edu, Dr. Dorris Aniche Uzoka, Rt. Hon. Ekperipe Ekpo, Hon. Nkiru Onyeojiocha, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji Ojo, Hon. Stella Okotette, and Hon. Uju Kennedy Ohaneye.
The rest are Bello Muhammad, Muhammad Idris, Olawale Edun, Waheed Adebayo Adelabu, Mrs Iman Suleiman Ibrahim, Professor Ali Pate, Professor Joseph Utsev, Senator John Eno, and Senator Sani Abubakar Danladi.
After reading out the list to the Senators, the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, referred the list to the Committee of the Whole, for appropriate legislative action.
Tinubu in the letter said: “In compliance to the provision of the section 147 sub-section 2 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended, I am pleased to forward to Senate for confirmation the underlisted 28 ministerial nominees.
“While hoping that the additional nominations will be sent in due course I hope that the aforementioned nominees will receive the expeditious consideration and confirmation of the Senate.
“Please accept Distinguished Senate President and Senators the assurance of my highest regard.”
