The Senate on Tuesday, October 13, screened 10
ministerial nominees from the first list sent by
President Muhammadu Buhari.
It is believed that at least two out of the three senators from
each state must endorse the nomination of a ministerial
nominee before the confirmation can be carried out.
However, the endorsement by two senators of a ministerial
nominee would not be the only yardstick for confirmation,
as the Senate will consider other criteria.
Senate President Bukola Saraki
But, with 21 nominees from ‘batch A’ and 16 nominees from
‘batch B’, the screening exercise is billed to take three days.
Ten ministerial nominees were announced before
noon, but shortly after the resumption of the plenary, the
Senate moved into close-door session.
Speaking to newsmen, Dino Melaye, the spokesman of the
upper chamber and the chairman of the Senate adhoc
committee on publicity, said: “The decision to move into
close sessions is because Senators want to meet first. We
want to agree that those who have been members before,
will be prioritized. We also want to look at the additional
nomination, and adopt a modality for the screening process.
He continued: ”I want to assure Nigerians that the closed
door session will be very short, and in the next one hour,
the senate will proceed with the screening exercise.”
Cross section of senators
The senator was right. The closed-door session was short
and the following order of screening has been announced:
1. Udo Udoma (Akwa-Ibom)
2. Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti)
3. Audu Ogbeh (Benue)
4. Ogbonnaya Onu (Ebonyi)
5. Osagie Ehanire (Edo)
6. Abdulrahman Dambazau (Kano)
7. Lai Mohammed (Kwara)
8. Amina J Mohammed (Gombe)
9. Suleiman Adamu (Jigawa)
10. Ibrahim Jibril (Nasarawa)
Depute Senate President Ike Ekweremadu
With the Senate back to session, Senator Phillip Aduda
raised a Point of Order on the need for the FCT to be
represented in the Federal Executive Council. The Deputy
President of the Senate Ike Ekweremadu supported the idea,
adding that all the names of the ministerial nominees
should be released with their respective states.
Meanwhile, Senate President Saraki has read the names of
the new batch of ministerial nominees.
Naij.com brings you minute-by-minute account of the
screening exercise below:
17:15: Bukola Saraki announces that the Senate plenary
session is adjourned to Wednesday, October 14, 10am.
17:10: With all 10 nominees screened, Bukola Saraki gives a
recap of the proceedings at its Committee of the whole.
17:07: Having answered series of questions. Ibrahim Jibril is
told to take a bow.
17:05: Jibril says: “There has been policy inconsistency in the
past 30 years in regards to land allocation.”
16:57: On land issues, Jibril says: “Land committees are not
allowed to function at the appropriate time.”
16:48: Jibril is being quizzed by senators.
Ibrahim Jibril undergoing screening
16:45: Saraki asks Jibril to introduce himself.
16:40: Having answered series of questions, Suleiman
Adamu (Jigawa state) is told to take a bow. Next to be
screened and the last for today is Ibrahim Jibril (Nasarawa
state).
16:39: Adamu says: “We must consult professionals to
prevent collapse of buildings.”
16:38: Adamu says: “As a professional, my biggest calamity
is to have an uncompleted project. If confirmed minister,
my priority will be to look at all the uncompleted projects
and complete them.”
16:30: Adamu says: “We need to really go into Public-Private
partnership to attract investors from outside.”
16:25: More questions for Suleiman Adamu.
16:20: On bad roads, Adamu says: “There is need to conduct
feasibility studies for projects. Project managers should
always be carried along to ensure progress of projects
carried out.”
16:15: On water resources, Adamu says: “There is need to
invest money in water infrastructures.”
Suleiman Adamu undergoing screening
16:10: On employment, Adamu says: “I think the APC
manifesto has been clear that they will be massive creation
of employment. There should be emphasis on skill
acquisition to improve employment of youths.”
16:02: Saraki asks Adamu to introduce himself.
16:00: After answering series of question. Mohammed is told
to take a bow. Next to be screened is Suleiman Adamu
(Jigawa state).
15:50: On the stock market, Mohammed says: “We need
partnerships to develop this country and grow domestic
relationships.”
15:44: Mohammed quizzed by senators.
Amina Mohammed undergoing screening
15:42: Saraki asks Amina J. Mohammed to introduce herself.
15:37: Without having to answer any question, a motion is
moved for Mohammed to take a bow which is seconded. He
takes a bow and leaves. Next to be screened is Amina J.
Mohammed (Gombe state).
15:35: Lai Mohammed says: “I might have ruffled a few
feathers in the course of my duties, it wasn’t personal. I
believe four years is too small to stay in opposition, they
might have to stay longer. It is service to be in opposition
but its higher service to serve in government.”
Lai Mohammed told to take a bow without answering any
questions
15:30: Lai Mohammed says: “The APC government will not
be as harsh to the PDP as it was when his party was the
opposition party.”
15:25: Saraki asks Lai Mohammed to introduce himself, but
the senators demand he takes a bow and go. Saraki,
however, insists the APC national publicity secretary must
say something about himself.
15:20: Having answered series of questions, Dambazau is
told to take a bow. Next to be screened is Lai Mohammed
(Kwara state). In a move that brought comical reaction from
senators, Alhaji Mohammed bowed to Saraki three times.
15:15: On unemployment, Dambazau says: “Youths come
into the military come not just for a salary but to defend
their Nation.”
15:08: Dambazau says: “Our soldiers need maximum
support.”
15:00: Dambazau says: “I’m very passionate about the
welfare of soldiers.”
14:52: On the conflict between farmers and herdsmen,
Dambazau says: “We need to recapture our lost lands
caused by desertification and erosion to reduce this
conflict.”
14:46: More questions for Dambazau.
14:42: Dambazau says: “Allowances of soldiers need to be
reviewed.”
14:35: Dambazau proposes a review of the defence policy.
14:30: Senator Ali Wakili and Senator Na’Allah open the floor
of questions towards Lt. General (rtd.) Dambazau.
14:27: After introducing himself, Nigeria’s former chief of
staff, Dambazau is quizzed.
Abdulrahman Dambazau (Kano state) undergoing screening
14:25: Saraki asks Dambazau to introduce himself.
14:22: Enahire finally takes a bow after answering series of
questions from the floor. Most questions for Ehanire were
centered on health issues because of his background as a
medical doctor. Next to be screened is Abdulrahman
Dambazau (Kano state).
14:15: Enahire says: “It is important to use money allocated
to health efficiently.”
14:10: Enahire list problems of health care as: “Availability of
equipment, trained staff affordability of the service.”
14:05: More questions are rolled out to Osagie Enahire.
14:02: Enahire says: “Issues of remuneration and health
facilities should be addressed. There should be a proper
communication system between the Government and young
doctors.”
14:00: Enahire says: “The respect patients get from Private
Hospitals should also be gotten in Public Hospitals. A doctor
shouldn’t take decisions alone in complicated cases.”
13:55: Enahire says: “We lack a system of proper
management in our hospitals. We need to ensure that
orientation is given so patients can be treated with respect
and dignity.”
13:51: Enahire says: “Attitudes of actors in the health sector
should be addressed.”
13:47: Enahire says: “There is a crisis of confidence in the
health sector.”
13:42: Senate extends time allotted for ministerial screening
exercise. Session was to end 2pm, but has now been
extended.
13:37: After introducing himself, Ehanire is quizzed by the
senators.
Osagie Ehanire (Edo state)
13:35: Saraki asks Ehanire to introduce himself.
13:30: Having answered several questions, Onu is told to
take a bow. Next is Osagie Ehanire (Edo state).
13:25: On employment, Onu says: “There is no way we can
solve the problem of unemployment until we increase our
production.”
13:22: Onu advocates diversification of power generation, he
says: “We need to diversify power generation in Nigeria.”
13:18: After briefly introducing himself, Onu is quizzed by
Senators Samuel Anyanwu, Kabiru Gaya and Danjuma Goje
also ask Dr. Ogbonnaya
Ogbonnaya Onu (Ebonyi state) undergoing screening.
13:16: Saraki asks Onu to introduce himself.
13:14: The minority leader, Chief Godswill Akpabio, cut short
the session and pleaded for Audu Ogbeh to take a bow and
go. Akpabio described Ogbeh as a donation from the PDP to
the APC. Ogbeh is a former chairman of the PDP. Next is
Chief Ogbonnaya Onu (Ebonyi state).
13:12: Ogbeh says: “Every local government in Nigeria must
have an extension office to teach people how to farm.”
13:10: Ogbeh says: “Since I left the government in 1983 I
have been in school; the school of life learning about
agriculture.”
13:05: Senators Aliyu Wammako, Abdullahi Adamu and
Emmanuel Bwacha ask Chief Audu Ogbeh questions on his
prior public involvements and agriculture.
13:00: Ogbeh says: “I’m here not because of anything new
but because my President has deemed it fit for me to be
part of his cabinet.”
Audu Ogbeh (Benue state) undergoing screening
12:57: Saraki asks Audu Ogbeh to introduce himself.
12:53: Having answered several questions, Kayode Fayemi
(Ekiti state) has been screened successfully and finally takes
a bow. It is now the turn of Chief Audu Ogbeh (Benue state).
12:52: Fayemi on Internal Security: “Our prisons have been
saturated with people who do not have access to justice.”
12:50: Fayemi says: “Our security needs to address our
Criminal Justice System, people don’t get punished for
crime.”
12:48: Fayemi says: “Majority of our graduates have
education but do not have work place skills and they need
that.”
12:45: Fayemi on unemployment: “We had a youth
empowerment scheme that paid graduates 10,000 naira
every month.”
12:43: Fayemi says: “Poverty is the problem between the
mindlessly rich and hopelessly poor.”
12:38: Fayemi says: “Poverty is not the problem of Nigeria
but inequality.”
12:35: More questions are being rolled out to Fayemi.
Questions on poverty and security.
12:30: Fayemi says: “We have not been able to do well in the
technical and vocational part of our educational sector. We
have a problem of enrolment. We need to do something
about our curriculum and teacher quality. We need to do
something about our educational quality and quality of our
teachers. We need to make our public schools attractive and
all this boils down to enrolment. President Buhari is doing a
lot on foreign policy, recognising that our neighbours are
our first call of interest.”
12:27: Fayemi says: “The government house in Ekiti is
probably the cheapest government house in Nigeria. I did it
for Ekiti state and not for myself.”
12:23: Fayemi says: “I did not borrow to pay salaries, I
borrowed for capital projects.”
12:20: Fayemi says: “Road network in Ekiti and other
infrastructures significantly improved while I was the
governor.”
One of the ministerial nominees Kayode Fayemi undergoing
screening
12:17: Kayode Fayemi says: “About the debt in Ekiti, I’ll like
to say governance is a continuum, I met obligations in
excess of 30 billion.”
12:14: Kayode Fayemi is being asked three questions. First
from Professor Olusola Adeyeye who asks him to speak of
his tenure as the Ekiti state governor in referral to several
newspaper reports that he left the state in so much debt
burden. Senator Shehu Sani also asked the nominee on his
involvements in Radio Freedom and Radio Kudirat and how
he escaped the hammer of the military junta. Senator Andy
Uba was the third person to ask a question.
12:11: Saraki asks Kayode Fayemi to make introductions of
himself. He speaks of his years as a governor saying: “I am
delighted to be in front of this Senate”
12:10: Next nominee, former governor Kayode Fayemi, is
invited for screening.
12:06: Having answered just one question, distinguished
Senators ask the former Chief Whip, Senator Udoma, to take
the bow which he does.
12:00: Udoma concludes his speech, but has been quizzed
by Senate President Bukola Saraki.
Senator Udoma Udo Udoma
11:55: Saraki asks Senator Udoma Udo Udoma to make
introductions of himself. He speaks of his 8-year tenure as a
Senator. He says he is ready to “hit the ground running.”
11:53: The first nominee to go through the exercise is
Senator Udo Udoma (Akwa-Ibom state). Udo Udoma is the
former chairman of the UAC and the Securities and
Exchange Commission.
11:52: The Senate has admitted former members of the
senate and the chairman of the All Progressives Congress
signaling the commencement of the screening exercise. The
screening will go in this order: Udo Udoma, Kayode Fayemi
, Audu Ogbeh, Ogbonnaya Onu, Osagie
Ehanire, Abdulrahman Dambazau, Lai Mohammed, Amina J
Mohammed, Suleiman Adamu, Ibrahim Jibril.
11;50: The Senate moves into a Committee of the Whole, as
the mace is lowered.
11:48: The Senate is to begin the ministerial screening, as
the Senate leader Ali Ndume moves the motion and the
minority leader, Senator Akpabio, seconds.
11;45: The Senate accepts the two recommendations of the
Committee on Ethics, Privileges & Public Petitions on the
ministerial nominee Amina J Mohammed.
11:43: The committee recommends that since the
nominee, Amina Mohammed, is from Gombe state and not
Kaduna state, she should be cleared for the nomination.
11:42: Senator Samuel Anyanwu who chairs the
committee reads the findings and recommendations of the
Committee on the petitions against Amina Mohammed.
11:40: The Senate moves on to receive the report of the
Committee on Ethics, Privileges & Public Petitions on the
Ministerial nominee Amina J. Mohammed.
11:36: Deputy Senate President Ekweremadu also raises an
issue on the floor as the Senate moves on for the
presentation of four bills.
11:35: Senator Phillip Aduda raises a Point of Order o
n the
need for the FCT to be represented in the Federal Executive
Council.
11:30: The Senate president reads names of the second
batch of ministerial nominees. They include Professor
Adewole, Mrs. Abba Bukar et al…
11:20: Saraki makes announcements and starts reading the
letter from the president on the second batch.
11:10: The Senate is now back in session
10:20: Senate President Saraki says that the Senate is to
move into a closed session.
10:17: Senator Rose Okoji seconds the motion and the Votes
and Proceedings are approved.
10:15: Senator Abdulrahman Abubakar moves the motion
that the Votes and Proceedings of Thursday 8th October,
2015 be approved.
10:00: Senate President Bukola Saraki moves into the
Chambers, greets fellow senators and says the prayers.