…Rowdy Session While Screening Festus Keyamo

After strenuous seven days of intensive screening, suspending its rules to work extra days and hours, the Senate on Monday confirmed 45 of the 48 nominees of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Ministers of the Government of Nigeria.

Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio put the nominations one by one to a series of voice votes, which confirmation by the upper legislative chamber. Three nominees, Nasir El-Rufaithree are said to still be undergoing security clearance.

The ministerial nominees with some challenges are former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, Dr. Stella Okotete (Delta State), and Alhaji Abubakar Danladi (Taraba State).

The confirmation comes over a week after Tinubu’s transmission of a 28-member list to the red chamber for confirmation on July 27.

Last Monday, the Senate screened former governor of Rivers State, Barr.Nyesom Wike; Alhaji Abubakar Kyari from Borno State; Hon.Nkiruka Onyejeocha (Abia State); Barr.Bello Muhammad (Sokoto State); Sani Abubakar Danladi (Taraba State); and Alhaji Badaru Abubakar (Jigawa State).

Others are Prof. Joseph Utsev (Benue State),Mr. Olubunmi Tunji Ojo (Ondo State),Dr. Betta Edu (Cross River State),Barr. Uju Kennedy Ohaneye (Anambra State), Abubakar Momoh (Edo State), Senator John Enoh (Cross River State),Hon. Iman Suleiman Ibrahim (Nasarawa State), and Amb. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar (Bauchi State).

The Senate on Tuesday screened ex-governors Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna) and Engr. Dave Umahi (Ebonyi); Mr.Wale Edun, Uche Nnaji, Hon. Stella Okotete, Mr.Adebayo Adelabu, Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, Barr. Hannatu Musawa, and Arch.Musa Dangiwa.

The following day, the red chamber screened Mr. Dele Alake,Prince Lateef Fagbemi and Mr. Muhammad Idris, Prof Ali Pate, and Dr. Doris Uzoka.

The President sent a supplementary list of 19 nominees to the Senate last Wednesday. Two days later, the President withdrew the nomination of Maryam Shetty of Kano State from the list, replacing her with Festus Keyamo and Mariya Mahmoud.

Lady Friday, the Senate screened Mr. Zephaniah Jisalo, Alhaji Shuaibu Audu, Mr. Yusuf Sununu, Dr. Bello Matawalle, Alhaji Alkali Saidu, Alhaji Ahmed Gwarzo, Atiku Bagudu, Mr. Simon Lalong, Senator Ibrahim Gaidam, Dr. Aliu Abdullahi, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola, ChiefHeineken Lokpobiri and Dr. Tunji Alausa.

The screening continued at Senate on Saturday with Lola Ade-John, Bosun Tijani, Isiak Salako, Tahir Mamman, and Maigari Ahmadu.

Senate in Rowdy Session Screening Festus Keyamo

Earlier on Monday, the otherwise peaceful atmosphere in the red chambers, The Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria turned rowdy on Monday when past activities of a ministerial nominee resonated and haunted him.

The development forced the Senate into a closed-door session to deliberate on the fate of Mr Festus Keyamo,a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), a former Minister of state for labour and employment under former President Muhammadu Buhari and a ministerial nominee from Delta State.

Senate in Rowdy Session Screening Festus Keyamo

Unlike other privileged nominees told to take a bow, his screening got off to a rocky start when Senator Darlington Nwokocha, a Labour Party(LP) lawmaker from Abia State, raised a point of order shortly after Mr Keyamo finished his introduction.

Citing Section 88 of the Constitution, the senator said Mr Keyamo violated the Constitution in the past by ignoring summons from the two chambers of the National Assembly during the implementation of the Special Public Works Programme of the federal government.

“Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, each House of the National Assembly shall have power by resolution published in its journal or in the Official Gazette of the Government of the Federation to direct or cause to be directed investigation into – any matter or thing with respect to which it has the power to make laws, and the conduct of affairs of any person, authority, ministry or government department charged, or intended to be charged, with the duty of or responsibility for,” the Section reads in part.

Senator Nwokocha moved a motion that Mr Keyamo’s nomination be suspended pending investigation into his conduct.

Another member from Abia state Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe (APGA, Abia) seconded the motion.

When the motion was put to vote by the presiding officer, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, there was no clear division between those against the motion and those in support.

While Senator Akpabio was hesitating to call the votes, a rowdy session ensued on the floor of the Senate as different camps were shouting “ayes” and “nays”.

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, stood up from his seat , cited Order 62 of the Senate and asked all the senators to calm down . When the senators were calm, the Senate President said a lot of things were considered before nomination of Mr Keyamo.

Consequently, the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, moved a motion that the Senate moved into a closed session. The motion was seconded by the Minority Leader, Simon Mwadkwom.

At exactly 2:00 p.m, the senate president directed that the Senate dissolved into closed-door session and ordered Mr Keyamo to step out of the chamber.

In 2020 , Mr Keyamo and the lawmakers at a meeting with the joint committee of the National Assembly on employment and labour aimed at discussing the progress of the planned employment of 774,000 Nigerians by the federal government ended in a controversial manner.

The National Assembly had in the 2020 budget appropriated N52 billion for the special public works programme aimed at employing 774,000 citizens, a thousand from each of the 774 local government areas in the country.

Mr Keyamo told journalists the inter-ministerial committee recommended a 20-member committee approved by the ministry.

He also said the lawmakers pressured him to submit the names of those involved in the recruitment process.

Shortly after the closed door session of the Senate, it’s President Senator Godswill Akpabio went to the Presidential Villa to consult with the President.

Senator Akpabio reportedly arrived at the Villa at about 2.55 p.m., nearly one hour after the Senate went into a closed-door session to discuss Mr Keyamo’s fate.

Senator Akpabio’s visit is believed to be connected to the fate of Mr Keyamo, who was minister of state for labour and employment in the immediate past administration of Muhammadu Buhari.

Mr Keyamo was Friday nominated to serve as minister by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.