Ministerial Screening – We Will Be Firm – Senate

Ben Agande, Henry Umoru and Inalegu Shaibu

29 June 2011

Abuja — The Senate, yesterday, resolved to discard its much criticised bow and go policy for some ministerial nominees as it pledged to conduct tough screening for the 34 ministerial nominees submitted to it.

All the nominees were at press time documenting themselves with the security and other government agencies including the Code of Conduct Bureau ahead of the commencement of the screening exercise today.

Meanwhile fears of an inflated government and its attendant burden on the national treasury were raised after President Goodluck Jonathan made a demand for the approval of a record 20 special advisers. The number of special advisers which is to be approved by the National Assembly is besides the retinue of special assistants and other presidential aides.

Stormy screening session

Meanwhile, expectations of a stormy screening session were raised yesterday by the flood of protests against some nominees, principally from the Southwest.

Vanguard learnt that senators were locked in caucuses, last night, as different groups deliberated on how they were going to project their interests for and against some of the nominees.

Senate president, Senator David Mark who presided at the Senate session unveiled the names of the 34 ministerial nominees including 14 members of the immediate past executive council of the federation.

The 34 listed include: Barrister Emeka Wogu, Abia; Senator Bala Mohammed, Bauchi; Mrs. Diezani Alison Madueke, Bayelsa; Elder Godsday Orubebe, Delta; Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, Ebonyi; Navy Capt Olubolade Caleb, Ekiti; Professor Ruqautu Rufiya, Jigawa; Dr. Shamsudeen Usman, Kano; Arc. Mohammed Musa Sada and Mohammed Adoke, Kogi. Others are Mr. Olusegun Aganga, Lagos;

Mr. Labaran Maku, Nasarawa; Alhaji Yusuf Sulieman, Sokoto; Dr. Obadiah Ando, Taraba;

Hajia Zainab Maina, Adamawa; Professor Ita Okon Bassey-Ewa, Akwa Ibom; Mrs. Stella Oduah-Ogiemwonyi, Anambra; Comrade Abba Moro, and Samuel Ortom, Benue. Alhaji Bukar Tijani, Borno; Arch Mike Onolememen, Edo; Professor Barth Nnaji, Enugu; Senator Idris Umar, Gombe. Professor Viola Onwuliri, Imo; Dr. Bello Mohammed, Kebbi; Alhaji Bolaji Abdullahi, Kwara;

Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru, Ogun; Dr. Akinwumi Ayo Adesina, Ogun. Olusola Obada, Osun; Ms Olajumoke Akinjide, Oyo; Arch Tonye Cole, Rivers; Dr. Yerima Lawan Ngama, Yobe; Amb. Bashiru Yuguda, Zamfara; and Hajia Zainab Ibrahim Kuche, Niger.

Okonjo Iweala

Managing Director of the World Bank, Dr. (Mrs.) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was conspicuously missing among the ministerial nominees presented to the Senate yesterday.

No reason was given for her absence but informed sources disclosed yesterday that Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala may be in the process of perfecting her disengagement from the World Bank. Besides, her re-entry into the federal cabinet has been shrouded in some controversy over her compensation package.

Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala is expected to head a super Finance Ministry.

Following the Senate session yesterday, newly proclaimed Senate leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, SAN, said the Senate will be very firm in the screening.

While noting that the tradition of asking former senators nominated for appointment to bow and go will no longer apply, he said: “The screening modalities for the ministerial nominees will be as detailed as possible. The rule in the Senate is that every nominee must be subjected to the grilling of the Senate. The tradition notwithstanding, every nominee will be subjected to the same level of grilling.

There will be no usual bow and go, because the mood of the nation is that they should be grilled.”

Ndoma-Egba who said the Senate was ready to start the screening process today after all the credentials of the nominees had been received and distributed to senators, added that more nominees were being expected from President Jonathan because the number submitted to the Senate did not meet the constitutional requirement of at least one nominee per state.

He said: “I expect that we will receive more names because the number we have so far received is 34. Under the Constitution, every state is expected to produce a minister and the number we have so far is not yet enough.”

Protest by stakeholders

Four nominees from the Southwest, Erelu Olusola Obada the immediate past deputy governor of Osun State; Olusegun Aganga, the immediate past former minister of finance who is representing Lagos; Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade (rtd) the former Minister of State, Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA representing Ekiti and Mrs. Omobola Johnson representing Ondo State were the quartet at the centre of protests by stakeholders from their states.

A group, the Osun State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,Youth Caucus in a statement noted that the choice of Obada was not right for the State against the backdrop that she was not the preferred candidate within the party’s caucus.

Aganga was the subject of protest by three groups from Lagos. The three groups under the names Eko Indigenes Progressives Youths Association, Lagos; Women Indigene Association and Lagos State Progressives Alliance, in separate statements called on President Goodluck Jonathan to withdraw Aganga’s name as a nominee for Lagos State, just as they stressed that he was not an indigene of Lagos State.

In the same vein, the Youth Caucus of PDP, in a statement, reminded President Jonathan of the need to strengthen PDP in Osun State against the backdrop of the growing influence of the opposition party, noting that a female nominee may never be able to act as a rallying force for re-launching the defeated party in Osun State at the nick of time.

The Edo State chapter of the PDP, yesterday, rebuffed claims that the ministerial nominee from the State, Arc. Onolememen is the first cousin of Chief Tony Anenih, the erstwhile chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees.

The party in a statement by the Director of Publicity and Strategy of the state chapter of the party, Okharedia Ihimekpen, alleged blackmail by losers in the struggle to represent the state in the federal cabinet for the claim.

20 special advisers

Meanwhile, the President has requested the Senate to approve 20 special advisers for him. The record number of special advisers beats the eight special advisers appointed by his immediate predecessor, late President Umaru Yar’Adua.

In a letter to the Senate read on the floor of the Senate by Senator Mark, President Jonathan said the appointment of the special advisers would assist him in the discharge of his duties.

The President said his request is pursuant to the provision of Section 145 sub section 1 of the 1999 Constitution which confers on him the powers to appoint special advisers.

North East caucus rejects deputy leadership position

The north east caucus of the senate has rejected the deputy leadership position offered it by the Peoples Democratic Party.

In a communique issued yesterday night by the caucus it said it has unanimously rejected the deputy leadership position.

The communique signed by all fourteen PDP members from the zone did not give reasons for the action of the caucus.

Vanguard gathered that senators from the zone at the meeting expressed disappointment with the party over what they described as the shabby treatment of the region.

“It is obvious that the party does not consider us important in the scheme of things and that is the message we are taking to our people” a senator from the zone told Vanguard.

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