Senate Begins Screening of 43 Ministerial Nominees
The Senate this Wednesday commenced the screening of the 43 Ministerial nominees presented to it by President Muhammadu Buhari. The exercise is expected to be rounded off next week.

The Senate had earlier on Tuesday postponed its annual vacation scheduled to start this week. The annual vacation was initially billed to start on Friday, July 26th 2019.

However, the upper house decided on the postponement to enable it to screen the 43 names on the ministerial list submitted to the Senate by President Muhammadu Buhari.

According to Senator Adedayo Adeyeye, Chairman of the Senate Ad hoc Committee on Media and Publicity, who briefed the press the upper chamber would suspend its rules to allow the screening to last till as late as 10 pm from Wednesday.

He added that the Senate would also sit on Friday and Monday which are usually not plenary days “so that we can finish the screening exercise between Wednesday and end of next week.”

The ministerial list which is made up of mostly former governors, ministers and senators, is coming five months after the February Presidential election and about two months after the May 29 inauguration of President Buhari for second term.

Of the 43 names before the Senate, 14 are former ministers, who participated in the Federal Executive Council, FEC, in Buhari’s first tenure. But, 18 of their former colleagues did not make the list.

Four of the nominees including Dr. Ikechukwu Ogah (Abia); Senator George Akume (Benue), Senator Godwill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom) and Emeka Nwajiuba (Imo) were the first set to be screened before the Senate went on a one-hour break. Three of them who were former parliamentarians enjoyed the privilege of not being thoroughly drilled. After a few remarks they were asked to take a bow and leave

Seven states – Anambra, Bauchi, Edo, Kaduna, Kwara, Lagos and Kano have two ministerial nominees each, while other states have a slot each.

The 14 former ministers who made the list are former Minister of Works, Housing and Power, Babatunde Raji Fashola (Lagos State); former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers State); former Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed (Kaduna State); immediate past Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, Muhammad Bello (Adamawa State); former Education Minister, Adamu Adamu (Bauchi State); former Science and Technology Minister, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu (Ebonyi State); former Labour and Productivity Minister, Dr. Chris Ngige (Anambra State); former Minister of State, Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire (Edo State); and former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika (Katsina State).

Other former Ministers on the list are the immediate past Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, (Kwara State); former Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (Kebbi State); former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama (Enugu State); former Minister of State, Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu (Jigawa State); and former Minister of State for Power, Mustapha Baba Shehuri (Borno State).

The fresh nominees include former Governor of Akwa Ibom State and past Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom); former Governor of Benue State and past Minority leader of the Senate, Senator George Akume (Benue); immediate past governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola (Osun); former governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva (Bayelsa); former Minister of Science and Technology, Mrs. Pauline Tallen (Plateau); Senator Olorunmimbe Adeleke Mamora (Lagos); Dr. Ikechukwu Ogah (Abia); Sharon Ikeazor (Anambra); Ambassador Maryam Katagun (Bauchi); and Goddy Jedy Agba (Cross River).

Also on the list are Senator Gbemisola Saraki who is the sister of the immediate past President of the Senate, Senator Bukola Saraki (Kwara); Executive Commissioner, National Communications Commission, Sunday Dare (Oyo); Chairman, Committee on Petroleum Downstream in the 8th Senate, Senator Tayo Alasoadura (Ondo); and Spokesman, President Muhammadu Buhari Presidential Campaign, Festus Keyamo (Delta).

The remaining nominees are Clement Agba (Edo); former governor of Ekiti State, Otunba Niyi Adebayo (Ekiti); Ali Isa Pantami (Gombe); Rep. Emeka Nwajiuba (Imo); Muhammad Mahmood (Kaduna); Sabo Nanono (Kano); Major General Bashir Salihi Magashi (Kano); Ramatu Tijjani (Kogi); Mohammed H. Abdullahi (Nasarawa); Zubair Dada (Niger); Olamilekan Adegbite (Ogun); Maigarai Dingyadi (Sokoto); Sale Mamman (Taraba); Abubakar D. Aliyu (Yobe); and Sadiya Umar Faruk (Zamfara).