Senators give terms for confirming ministers
President Buhari
• May reject incomplete list, screen Buhari for petroleum slot
• To refer corruption petitions against nominees to EFCC, ICPC
AS the Senate today, unveils the ministerial list it received from President Muhammadu Buhari last Thursday, some senators have provided insight into how the screening and confirmation of nominees would be done.
Some of them, who spoke on the terms and conditions that would guide the screening at the National Assembly yesterday hinted that the upper legislative chamber would adopt stringent measures in line with the provisions of the Constitution.
The senators made it clear that any list that does not cover the 36 states of the Federation will meet serious opposition on the floor.
A People’s Democratic Party (PDP) senator, representing Abia North, Mao Ohuabunwa, said the list of ministerial nominees is expected to be complete in line with the Constitution.
“The Constitution does not support appointment of ministers in batches. Every state must be represented but if the number is not complete, some of us may raise constitutional issues. If we have to wait for another three months for him to send another list comprising representatives of other states, it means those states would be non-functional,” he said.
On petitions against some nominees, Ohuabunwa noted such issues would not be ignored in the process of screening.
According to him, since the present administration of All Progressives Congress (APC) would want to be remembered for curbing corruption, it would be counter-productive to overlook any allegations of corruption leveled against any nominee.
He said: “This government would want to be remembered for fighting corruption and so, it will be unacceptable that the Senate sees a strong petition alleging corruption and ignores it.
“Even if it means writing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) or Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) to give us a report, we will do so.”
According to him, screening is not a tea party and only trusted nominees with serious and in-depth knowledge would be confirmed.
On the issue of usual style of asking some nominees to ‘take a bow and go,’ Ohuabunwa said it was assumed that the upper chamber would be guided by the Constitution and the rules of the Senate.
“We have resolved to be stringent. Whosoever would be coming should be someone who has a track record. Being a former lawmaker shows you are qualified but you will still be expected to answer some questions,” he stated.
He added that though senators or governors may not have made input in the nomination, the screening would nevertheless be done in accordance with the laws of the federation.
“We may not have made input in the appointment, the screening would be done in accordance with the law and if any nominee has any skeleton in his cupboard, we will send him back to the President,” he said.
Speaking on a report that the President might want to be the Minister of Petroleum, Ohuabunwa said: “He can supervise ministries but cannot be a minister because if he is, he must be screened and approved by the Senate.”
The Chairman of the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Publicity, Senator Dino Melaye had said that the screening of ministerial nominees will not be business as usual.
Dino had said: “In our screening of ministers, it will not be business as usual. The era of take a bow and go is over. The right people will be made ministers without any political or religious considerations.”
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21 Comments
After four months this sluggish president cant bring out full list of his government. Incompetent man, if not African mentality senate suppose to declare him incapacitated.
Yes!…………………Just like Biafra pretenders!
SO THE SENATORS THAT PARTICIPATED IN THE PREVIOUS “‘BOW AND GO”” WERE COMMITTING, THEREFORE THEY SHOULD RESIGN FROM THE SENATE AND REFUND ALL THE MONIES OR SALARIES THEY GOT ILLEGITIMATELY, WITH THAT NIGERIANS WILL TAKE THEM SERIOUSLY.
Although there is some fresh blood on the list there also seems to be too many politicians with a questionable past. However lets wait for the remaining 17 or so nominees to be announced before we pass judgment..
I totally agree with the senate on the issue of proper screening for the nominees and we should move away from the ´Take a bow syndrome`´ however their intention to screen PMB for the petroleum Minister slot is to say the least absurd and with no basis either legally or politically
Lets get this straight. PMB is directly overseeing the petroleum ministry. This is within his powers as elected president of Nigeria. He is NOT taking up the position of petroleum minister. To this end he certainly does not require senate confirmation.
THE PRESIDENT HAVE THE POWER TO OVERSEEING ALL MINISTRY AND GOVERNMENT AGENCY,,,BUT CAN NOT ASSUME A POST OF A MINISTER WITH OUT GOING VIA SENATE SCREENING AND CONFIRMATION….SINCE PETROLEUM MINISTER IS ONE AMONG OTHER MINISTERIAL POST.THAT’S WHAT THE HIGHEST LAW OF THE COUNTRY SAYS…. MOREOVER,THE CONSTITUTION SAYS THAT 36 NOMINEES BE SUBMITTED REPRESENTING 36 STATES OF THE FEDERATION AND NOT 21….YOU SEE BUHARI HAVE VIOLATED THE CONSTITUTION.IN ANY NORMAL COUNTRY HE WILL BE IMPEACHED.BUT IN THE ZOO CALLED NIGERIA EVERY THING WORKS UP SIDE DOWN..VERY SAD INDEED!!
May you continue to remain very sad, bitter and frustrated, amen!
ACTUALLY I DON’T REALLY CARE ABOUT HIS AMBITION OF BEING A MINISTER…ALL I KNOW IS THAT WILL BE POSSIBLE ONLY IN THE ZOO..WITH MONKEYS AND BABOONS OK!!
I agree with you. Yeah right. Just the way GEJ was impeached for giving Ibori clean bill only to be sentenced in the UK?
NO, THAT’S NOT CORRECT…ACTUALLY IBORI RAN AWAY FROM NIGERIA FOR FEAR OF BE ARRESTED– HE ESCAPED ARREST SO TO SAY…BUT WAS LATER NABBED IN DUBIA BEFORE BEEN SENTENCED IN THE UK..PLEASE GET THE FACTS CORRECT..SO IT GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH THE SUBJECT MATTER REGARDING BUHARI…LET’S TRY TO ATTACK THE ISSUES WITH HONESTY AND WITHOUT SENTIMENTS,IT WILL DO US MORE GOOD
You have my 100% support on this matter,more than half of national treasury is looted through the oil sector,therefor nothing wrong in PMB being in charge he vowed to be responsible and should unconditional be given the oat of office those of against should all go a sit in the dustbin because that’s wot mad people do.
As a law-making body, our Senators should know they cannot reject a Presidential nominee as a Federal Minister based on gossips or emotions; PMB, ably supported by a legal professor will not present a nominee that a has a case of corruption in court or with the EFCC to them to be rubbished. Other excuses of non conformity with the constitution with regards to presentation of an incomplete list or the issue of the Petroleum ministry supervision will also not hold; they are only gimmics to upset the APC anti-corruption campaign by a dogged corrupt group who are totally against the envisaged change the Nigerian people voted for.
What our Senators fail to realise is that the whole world had accepted the anti-corruption stance of PMB as what Nigeria needs for now and are just waiting for the outcome of their grand-standing posture.
SO YOU ARE SAYING THAT THE COUNTRY CONSTITUTION SHOULD BE VIOLATED IN THE NAME OF FIGHTING CORRUPTION..BUT YOU COULD NOT UNDERSTAND THAT BRAKING THE LAW OR CONSTITUTION IS EQUAL TO CORRUPTION AND LAWLESSNESS.IT MAKES NO SENSE AT ALL AND THAT SHOWS YOU ARE FOOLISH AND SICK IN THE BRAIN.PLEASE SEE A DOCTOR ASAP..
Sorry, get well soon!
Laws are made for man and not the other way round. Therefore, if the law forbids death penalty and you find a man with a gun shooting indiscriminately, come on, should we all look like and idiot till we are all dead, all because of what a stitched paper containing words written by man? Won’t somebody shoot the idiot to safe the soul of the rest of us? Behold a Senate, whose President is accused of corruption. The rest of senators said he should be left alone. He is above the law.
The same people are now threatening to be strict at screening ministerial nominees. How does that sound to you? Why were they voted into legislative chambers in the first place? Are they not supposed to do their job thoroughly? Why are they now talking with threat under their tones? Why telling the public they would be strict now? Of course they are supposed to.!! That’s their job. Or do they think it’s GEJ they are talking to, who might be scared of loosing second term and quickly obey their command? Let them bloody get into chamber and do the jobs for which they were elected.
YES I UNDERSTAND YOUR POSITION…ALL WHAT YOU HAVE POINTED OUT IS HAPPENING IN NIGERIA BECAUSE THE COUNTRY IS FOUNDED ON FRAUD AND LIES TO THE BENEFIT OF THE BRITISH AND THEIR SLAVE POLITICIANS AND SO CALLED LEADERS.BUT THE EXAMPLE YOU CITED IS NOT THE SAME WITH THE SUBJECT MATTER WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HERE..PLEASE!!BUHARI DON’T HAVE ANY POWER TO BREACH THE CONSTITUTION SIMPLY BECAUSE HE WANTS TO BE A MINISTER…THAT THE LAW FORBIDS HIM FROM AS A PRESIDENT.
I would have thought you would understand why any patriotic and sane President of Nigeria of today would be wary of putting Petroleum ministry under anybody’s ministration, especially given the rots and allegations and revelations that are just coming out.
Can’t you understand that some of those laws you are defending are planted in the law book to protect the thieves and deny the masses of benefitting from national wealth? The law allows the president to take certain precautions that are of national interest.
No matter how Buhari does it, I think what should interest every right thinking Nigerian is getting the nation out of the wood. And believe me, the nation is fighting a WAR. Corruption war. And in war time, unconventional decisions can be taken, so long as it is in national interest. The law we have now is not what genuine Nigerians should be embracing. It’s mostly anti-developmental.
Buhari will not carry the title of a minister. He is the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the FRN. As of today, he is father of all. He has seen what you have not seen. He has information you don’t have. Nigerians’ expectations from him is very tall. He can’t meet up doing the business as usual. That’s the truth.
BUT HE COULD HAVE GET A WELL TRUSTED AND CLOSE PERSON TO DO THE JOB AND NOT NECESSARY TO BREACH THE CONSTITUTION..IN A NORMAL SOCIETY, YOU DON’T RESOLVE ILLEGALITY WITH ILLEGALITY..AS THEY SAY,TWO WRONGS CAN NOT MAKE A RIGHT…
I agree with you. He is sick and really needs a doctor.
Saraki shld stand down as he has pending criminal case
We should thank God that even PDP Senators have realised they didn’t do the right thing in the past. It is then stupidity of some sorts when the party tries to defend its past misgovernance of the country.
Some of these ministers that have issues of corruption as well as the Senate President should first of all clear their names with EFCC, ICPC & CCT (CCB) before anything. Or else fight against corruption will be stall. Nobody should be allow if his or her hands are not clean, I mean CLEAN hands, period.
We will review and take appropriate action.