Ministerial appointment: Suspense as Senate confirms 45 nominees, drops El- Rufai, two others
…Cites controversy over security report, checks
…Keyamo apologises to Senators over past disrespect under Buhari
…Akpabio meets with President Tinubu behind closed doors
Confirmation of nominees of President Bola Tinubu by the Senate has left suspense in the air as the Upper Chamber witheld the confirmation of immediate past Governor of Kaduna State and the ministerial nominee from Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai as a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Of the 48-man list submitted to the Senate by the President, 45 have been ratified by the Upper Chamber, but El-Rufai is one among the three nominees who are yet to be confirmed by the Senate.
Seven days of its screening of the ministerial nominees sent to it by the President, the Senate did not confirm El-Rufai and two others, namely, former Deputy Governor of Taraba State, Senator Abubakar Danladi.
Also not confirmed by the Upper Chamber is one of the ministerial nominees from Delta State, Stella Okotete.
The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, cited issues relating to security clearance as grounds why the Senate did not give the ratification.
Meanwhile, in the screening which has lasted for seven days, the Senate has confirmed 45 of the 48-man list, key among which include immediate past Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike; the Deputy Majority Senate Leader and former Governor of Ebonyi State, Senator Dave Umahi; former Minister of state, Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, SAN; Lateef Fagbemi, SAN; Hon. Olubunmi Tunji Ojo; and Dele Alake as Ministers Designate.
….Keyamo apologises to Senators over past disrespect under Buhari
Meanwhile, there was light drama at the Upper Chamber on Monday during the screening of Festus Keyamo (SAN), the Delta State ministerial nominee.
Keyamo on Monday apologised to the Senate over his failure to appear before the 9th National Assembly when he served as Minister of State for Labour and Productivity under the immediate past President Muhammadu Buhari led government.
Keyamo’s appearance before the Senate generated rancour leading to a rowdy session on Monday, a development that cannot be unconnected to his action of shunning the 9th Senate.
The rowdy session trailed a point of order raised, and motion moved, by Senator Darlington Nwokocha (LP Abia Central). Nwokocha called for Keyamo’s screening to be stood down over his past attitude towards the National Assembly when he was Minister.
Nwokocha accused Keyamo of disrespecting the 9th National Assembly, while levelling allegations of corruption against the previous administration.
Nwokocha noted that Keyamo was summoned to clarify matters pertaining to a N52 billion Public Works scheme which was overseen by the National Directorate of Employment, which fell under Keyamo’s ministry, but failed to honour the invitation.
Following the motion, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, then called for a closed session.
Immediately after the session, he proceeded to the Villa to see President Bola Tinubu.
The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio met with President Tinubu in the Presidential Villa after a heated session in the red chamber which resulted in a motion to suspend the screening of ministerial nominee Festus Keyamo from Delta State.
The motion was seconded by Enyinnaya Abaribe, a senator from Abia-South Senatorial District.
The motion to suspend the screening was initiated by Darlington Nwokocha, a senator representing Abia Central Senatorial District.
Nwokocha had accused Keyamo of disrespecting the 9th National Assembly and levelling allegations of corruption against the previous administration.
Keyamo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria previously served as the Minister of State for Labour and Productivity during ex-President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
Nwokocha claimed that Keyamo was summoned to clarify matters pertaining to a Special Public Works programme during that time but failed to honour the invitation.
The programme was overseen by the National Directorate of Employment, which fell under Keyamo’s ministry.
Upon his return, the screening session resumed, having Keyamo apologised to the Senate, explaining that the list of the beneficiaries of the N52 billion Public Works scheme was available for scrutiny.
Keyamo apologised to the Senate and was then asked to go and sin no more.
Some controversies have been noted around the ministerial nominees of President Tinubu.
On Sunday, the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, (CISLAC), and Transparency International (TI) Nigeria had raised alarm, expressing disappointment over what they termed appointment and nomination of some personalities believed to be corrupt and persons with questionable integrity.
The Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) had said they found it appalling that some of the names sent by the President to the National Assembly to be screened for ministerial positions have corruption related cases to answer with anti-graft agencies.
They feared the development would further damage Nigeria’s image in the International space, while expressing worry about the effect that such ill-thought actions will have on the morale of anti-corruption agencies in the country.
Although his spokespersons during the campaign towards the election, including Dele Alake and Festus Keyamo had boasted Tinubu would constitute his Cabinet before 60 days in office, the President is still yet to constitute same as his submission of nominees to the Senate only took place late last month when on Thursday the 27th July barely 24hours to the deadline set by the new amendment to the 1999 constitution, he sent a 28 man nomination list to the Senate. A subsequent was last week Wednesday sent to the Upper Chamber.
However, more controversies trailed the development after changes were discovered with replacement.
For instance, ministerial nominee from Kano, Maryam Shetty, was shuffled out of the list on a dramatic note.
Tinubu had nominated Shetty from Kano State for ministerial appointment, only for her to discover few hours to her screening that she had been withdrawn and replaced with another female nominee, Mariya Mahmoud Bunkure, former Commissioner of Higher Education under the immediate past governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje administration.
However, giving explanation for her replacement, the National Chairman, All Progressive Congress, (APC) and former governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, said she was replaced because she wasn’t known to the stakeholders who were consulted by the President after questions were raised about her nomination.
“We don’t know her, we can’t vouch for her competency for the job,” Ganduje who was last week appointed National Chairman of APC, said.
Meanwhile, reacting to the withdrawal of her name from the list of ministerial nominees by President Tinubu, Shetty blamed life with its characteristics of unpredictability for the action, saying, however, she bore no ill will towards anyone.
She said being nominated was a validation of her capabilities and a sign that the nation was ready to embrace a future where young women like her, even from the most traditional parts of Nigeria, can hold positions of influence and power.
