…Why we allowed Wike to ‘take-a-bow and go” – Akpabio
By Moses Adeniyi
Big figures among the nominees of President Bola Tinubu for ministerial position have enjoyed easy ride before the Senate as they appeared before the upper chamber for screening.
The screening of the 28-man nomination list submitted to the Senate by President Tinubu last Thursday commenced on Monday.
Tinubu had barely 24 hours to the 60 days deadline set by the new amendment to the 1999 constitution submitted a 28-man nomination list to the Senate for confirmation.
On Monday at the screening, about seven nominees passed before the Senate with an easy ride of “take-a-bow-and-go”, without drilling.
Recall NewsDirect had upon submission of the nomination list to the Senate, reported how major nominees would enjoy a take-a-bow-and-go easy ride for their screening.
Listed on Monday for screening in the Order Paper were Sen. Abubakar Kyari – Borno State; Abubakar Eshiokpekha Momoh – Edo State; Nyesom Ezenwo Wike – Rivers State; Engr. Prof. Joseph Terlumun Utsev – Benue State; Sen. John Owan Enoh – Cross River State; Hon. (Bar) Bello Muhammad -Sokoto State; Mohammed Badaru Abubakar – Jigawa State and Amb. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar – Bauchi State.
Also were Senator Abubakar Sani Danladi – Taraba State; Barr. Uju-Ken Ohaneye – Anambra State; Hon. (Dr). Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo – Ondo State; Dr. Betta C.Edu Cross River State: Imaan Sulaiman Ibrahim – Nasarawa State; Arch. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa – Katsina State; Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji – Enugu State and Stella Erhuvwuoghene Okotete – Delta State, just as Honourable Nkiru Onyejiocha, Abia was added.
As observed, of the nominees which appeared for screening on Monday, no less than seven only took a bow and were let go.
Questions for others also only touched on matters as to security, infrastructure, issues of date of birth, falsification, among others.
Key among those who enjoyed the take-a-bow and go was former Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike who only reeled out his profile and achievement and was thereafter asked to go.
Wike’s nomination had triggered some attention, as the development was a rare departure from the party affiliation norm of patronage politics.
Although indications emerged giving clue to his nomination, the development drew attention. Wike a member of opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP), was said to have worked for Tinubu in the February 25 presidential elections against the presidential candidate of his party, Atiku Abubakar who came second position behind President Tinubu.
Tinubu won Rivers to defeat both Atiku and Peter Obi, candidate of the Labour Party.
Wike, who is widely believed to have been instrumental to the victory of Tinubu in Rivers, is a leading force of the G-5 Governors of the PDP who fell out with the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku.
In the aftermath of the election, Wike has been in a series of closed door meetings with Tinubu, giving early indication that he might be considered for a ministerial position.
According to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, Wike was not drilled during the ministerial screening on Monday, because of his experiences as a Governor and a Minister under former President, Goodluck Jonathan.
“Having been nominated again for a ministerial position, there is no point asking him many questions,” Akpabio said.
Others who on Monday enjoyed the easy ride of take-a-bow and go before the Senate during their screening include a two- term House of Representatives member, Honourable Abubakar Momoh from Etsako Local Government Area of Edo State; Senator Abubakar Kyari, who was in the 8th and 9th Senate and presently the Acting National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC); a Senator in the 8th Senate, Senator John Enoh; and the immediate Governor of Jigawa State, Abubakar Badaru.
Also asked to take a bow and go were the former Deputy Chief Whip of the House of Representatives, Nkiru Onyejiocha who represented Isuikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency, Abia State; former member, House of Representatives and Nigeria Ambassador to Germany, since 2017, Amb. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar.
Those who were subjected to questions by the Senators were Engr. Prof. Joseph Terlumun Utsev – Benue State; Hon. (Bar) Bello Muhammad – Sokoto State; Sen. Abubakar Sani Danladi – Taraba State; Barr. Uju-Ken Ohaneye – Anambra State; Hon. (Dr). Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo – Ondo State; Dr. Betta C. Edu – Cross River State and Imaan Sulaiman Ibrahim – Nasarawa State.
Out of those that were drilled by the Senators, three nominees have issues ranging from alleged age falsification and forgery.
They include Prof. Joseph Utsev who is presently the Rector of Federal Polytechnic, Wannune, the home town of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume.
Utsev who hails from Buruku Local Government Area of Benue State is said to be the preferred candidate of Akume.
The nominee in his resume had a conflicting detail which showed that he was born in 1980 and finished his primary education in 1989 at the age of nine, thereby drawing the attention of the lawmakers.
Also having issues include Senator Abubakar Sani Danladi, Taraba who is allegedly on restrain by a Supreme Court Judgement banning him for holding public office for 10 years and Hon. Bello Mohammed from Sokoto State that has issues to do with his Secondary School Leaving Certificate.
The Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio said that those who have issues will have their cases looked into at the stage of confirmation.
For Momoh from Etsako Local Government Area of Edo State, soon after Momoh introduced himself as a former Councillor, former Local Government Chairman, Ex-Member, House of Assembly and a two- time member who represented Etsako Federal Constituency, he was asked to take-a-bow and go.
He was followed by Wike, who promised President Tinubu will not regret nominating him as a minister, describing himself as a performer.
“Every day I was commissioning projects,” he said, speaking of his antecedents as Governor of Rivers State, while affirming that “Mr President will not regret nominating me as a minister.”
“I accepted the offer to serve as a minister because of my passion to serve Nigeria,” he added.
The lawmakers representing River State represented by Senator Barinada Mpigi (PDP, Rivers Southeast) during the screening in support, said Wike was the best in the State for the position.
He said, “His Excellency former Governor Nyesom Wike is our best in Rivers State. He is our leader and role model.
“Distinguished senators, we implore that you should let him just take a bow and go. His resume is insufficient to enumerate the works that he has done.”
The Senate President, GodsWill Akpabio, thereafter, told him to take a bow and go.
Abubakar Kyari, who was in the 8th and 9th Senate and presently the Acting National Chairman of the ruling APC, was just asked to take a bow and go as a former Senator and the Acting National Chairman of APC.
The next was the immediate Governor of Jigawa State, Abubakar Badaru, followed by Senator in the 8th Senate, Senator John Enoh; then the former Deputy Chief Whip of the House of Representatives, Nkiru Onyejiocha who represented Isuikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency, Abia State; former member, House of Representatives and Nigeria Ambassador to Germany, since 2017, Amb. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar who were all asked to take a bow and go.
When the matter on the Supreme Court judgement banning him from public office was cited, Senator Abubakar Sani Danladi who was former Acting Governor and Deputy Governor, Taraba State, said “there was nothing in Appeal Court, they just struck out the case for lack of merit.
“At the Supreme Court, the same thing happened as Mrs Mary Odili said that the Federal High Court Jalingo was wrong to have passed the judgement that manner because when I was a deputy Governor in 2007 then the judgement on that, they used their executive power at that time to nullify me so from Supreme Court, I had to go back to the Federal High Court, Jalingo since the Supreme Court said there was no basis for the Federal High Court, Jalingo to do that judgement.
“Then the same jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, Jalingo now sat on the same judgement and set aside that judgement that is hanging on me.”
Responding, Akpabio said, “The Federal High Court, Jalingo gave a judgement against you that you were not qualified to contest on the basis of perjury that you lied on oath in respect of your date of birth, then later the Federal High Court sat on the same matter and cleared you?
“What we are saying is that the moment the Federal High Court gave the first judgement they become Fontus Officio in Law and can no longer sit as appellate Court over its own judgement, so you will definitely say what you want to say, we will study this because it is in the interest of Nigeria and it is of public interest. We will give him chance to finish, as soon as he finishes he can take a bow.”
Responding Senator Danladi said, “the same matter, senator Shaibu Lau took the matter to Federal High Court, Abuja, here on the same matter sir, Federal High Court gave me the judgement and he now went to the Appeal Court. It affirmed the judgement of the Federal High Court. He now went to the Supreme Court, the Court gave me the judgement so there was no any judgement from Supreme Court. As I am talking, the Supreme Court is hearing me, there was no any judgement, If there is judgement, the judgement is here.”
Recall NewsDirect had reported how that some nominees who have maintained good political influences with lawmakers in the Senate may enjoy easy ride through the upper chamber for confirmation, without going through rigorous questioning during their screening.
Sources disclosed the goodwill of the President with the leadership of the Parliament may further create room of convenience for some nominees to largely enjoy a “take-a-bow-and-go” floof.
Also, sources said the need to give speedy consideration to ratification of the list would further inform reason why the upper chamber may soften the process.
Some critics have noted that Tinubu may also be towing the lines of his predecessors’ tradition of taking long days after assuming office before announcing their appointees.
Many Nigerians had in 2015 lamented the delay in the appointment of ministers by the immediate past President Muhammadu Buhari, as it took him about six months to have his cabinet set in place.
Tinubu had before inauguration promised his government would kick start work from the very first day, mentioning his government would be constituted before the first 30 days.
Dele Alake, had in March, boasted that it would not take Tinubu up to 60 days to assemble a team of competent hands for his government.
“It didn’t take Asiwaju more than three weeks to form his cabinet as governor. That was as at that time. I think 60 days is even too much. A month, maximum, is enough for any serious government to form its cabinet and put a structure of government in place after the swearing-in,” he had said.
Also, Bayo Onanuga who was the Director of Media and Publicity for the disbanded All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council, had said in March too, ”What I can assure you is that even if the list is not ready on the first day, it will not take Asiwaju more than one month to put his cabinet together. He definitely will not wait for 60 days to assemble a competent cabinet.”
Last Thursday was the last plenary for the lawmakers to embark on their annual vacation. Th necessity to speed up the screening have forced the emergency meeting of the Senate to clear the nominees.