The fate of three ministerial nominees was left hanging in the balance yesterday as the Senate stepped down their confirmation on grounds that they are yet to get security clearance.
They are former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai; former All Progressives Congress (APC) women leader, Stella Okotete from Delta State, and Abubakar Sani Danladi from Taraba State.
The Red Chamber however confirmed 45 of the 48 ministerial nominees in the list sent to it for screening and confirmation by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in three batches.
The ministers-designate who were confirmed yesterday are Dele Alake, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, Mohammed Idris Malagi, Olubunmi Tunji Ojo, Ali Pate, Betta Edu, Abubakar Momoh, Yususf Maitama Tuggar, Ahmed Dangiwa, Hannatu Musawa, Uche Nnaji, Doris Uzoka, David Umahi, and Muhammed Badaru Abubakar.
Others are Ekperipe Ekpo, Nkeiruka Onyejocha, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, Bello Muhammad Goronyo, Lateef Fagbemi, Mohammad Idris, Olawale Edun, Waheed Adebayo Adelabu, Imman Suleiman Ibrahim, Joseph Utsev, Abubakar Kyari, John Enoh and Sani Abubakar Danladi.
Others include Ahmed Tijjani, Bosun Tijjani, Dr Mariya Mahmoud Bunkure, Ishak Salako, Tunji Alausa, Tanko Sununu, Adegboyega Oyetola, Atiku Bagudu, Bello Matawalle, Ibrahim Geidam, Simon Bako Lalong, Lola Adejo, Shuaibu Abubakar, Tahir Mamman, Aliyu Sabi, Alkali Ahmed, Heineken Lokpobiri, Uba Maigari, Zephaniah Jisalo and Festus Keyamo.
Speaking after the confirmation, Senate President Godswill Akpabio said el-Rufai, Danladi, and Okotete are still facing security checks.
“Let me thank my colleagues for what we have done. We have confirmed 45 out of the 48 nominees sent to us by Mr President. Those who were not confirmed are still undergoing security checks and clearance,” Akpabio stated.
As part of the process leading to their appointment, ministerial nominees are expected to undergo security checks by the Department of State Service (DSS) and obtain their certificates of clearance which they present to the federal legislature.
The provisions of Section 147 of the 1999 constitution that demands the security checks are meant to enable the National Assembly to be more effective in screening of ministers.
The idea is to put to an end the slip-shod ministerial screening episodes where politicians were confirmed based on political consideration.
Over the years, this has produced some bad ministers who negatively impacted on the economy of the country.
Speaking with journalists yesterday, Senate spokesman, Yemi Adaramodu, said 48 names were sent from the 36 states and a nominee from FCT which the Abuja people have been yearning for.
“Forty-five were confirmed, three others are awaiting further legislative procedures which will also depend on other organs of government,” Adaramodu said.
There was however a mild drama in the Senate over the nomination of Keyamo, a former minister the lawmakers said disrespected the parliament and rejected their invitation.
Festus, a nominee from Delta State who earlier appeared at the Senate at about 1:30pm, had hardly introduced himself than a point of order was raised from the Senate deputy minority whip, Darlington Nwokocha, on the need to defer Keyamo’s screening.
Keyamo who praised the Senators said he had already given up on being a minister but at the last minutes on Friday, President Tinubu submitted his name.
“I had already given up, packed my bags to travel for a vacation with my family before my name was announced on Friday,” Keyamo said, while acknowledging the fact that he had issues with Senator Godiya Akwashiki (Nasarawa) in the last assembly but that they are now best of allies.
Darlington Nwokocha (LP Abia Central) insisted based on order 88 (1) of the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria that Keyamo’s nomination should be stepped down because he refused to honour the national assembly’s invitation that he was not answerable to them.
He said, “Sometime in 2020, the issue of the public works programme came up with 20,000 to be given to 1000 people in the 774 local governments.
“At a point, we wanted to carry out our responsibility because we make laws to help the people and we also have the power of oversight.
“The nominee was invited over the N52 billion we appropriated. He publicly told all the people that the lawmakers want to hijack the process.
“Since hehas been running away from here. He is here; it is our responsibility to find out,” Darlington said while moving that Keyamo’s nomination should be put on hold.
Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe (APGA Abia South) seconded the motion moved by Nwokocha that by the virtue of section 88 (1b) of the constitution, they should suspend his screening.
Abaribe said there are implications for anyone who deliberately rejected the summons of both chambers of the National Assembly.
“I support that the screening of this nominee should be stepped down pending when he decides that the National Assembly has the power to inquire from a minister.
When Senate President Akpabio put it to a vote, there were conflicting voices.
The chamber was rancorous for some minutes before the Senate president rose and addressed his colleagues in standing position, stating that Keyamo was not a nominee of the Senate.
He asked the Senate leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, to speak, and the Senate Leader called for an executive session.
Opeyemi moved for the extension of their sitting time to capture all that were in the order paper.
It was seconded by the minority leader, even as Akpeyemi also moved for a closed session that will determine Keyamo’s fate and it was seconded by the minority leader.
After over three hours of waiting, it was gathered that Senate President Akpabio, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin and Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele went to the villa and spent over two hours.
The Senate had earlier gone into a one hour break to resume by 3:30pm but because it was said that the leadership of the Senate rushed to the villa to brief Tinubu on the matter, the sitting resumed after 5:30pm.
On resumption of plenary, Festus Keyamo apologized over his previous behavior, stating that he never saw a Kobo from the public works funds since they only compiled names and sent to the CBN for payment.
“We never saw one Kobo. We just generated the list and forwarded it to the CBN for payment.
“Today, I make a promise to the entire country that I can make available the register of the people that collected that money. Anyone that wants the list, I will supply it. As I said I am sorry, I am sorry, and I am sorry again,” Keyamo said.
Akpabio said the Senate accepted the apology, but can still go back and check whether the people got the money or not.
Sen Godiya Akwashiki (SDP Nasarawa) said Keyamo was a minister who supervised NDE, adding that during the COVID-19 era, funds were released to cushion the effect of the pandemic.
“And we tried to find out what happened with the funds and in the presence of the senior minister, he (Keyamo) said he was not answerable to us.
“Some months later, he said that we should give him the list of the National Assembly. At that time, the Senators were not happy.
“Now that he has apologised, I want to appeal to the Senate. I am moving that he should be allowed to take a leave and not to sin again. We invited him just for checks and balances,” Akwashiki said.
Akpabio sought understanding from his colleagues, saying the nominee has apologised, just as he asked Keyamo to take leave of the Senate since he has been earlier cleared.
The chief whip of the Senate, Ali Ndume, urged the Senate president to put the question to the Senators since the Senators have accepted the apology.
Ndume moved for the motion which was seconded by Npigi Barinada before Akpabio put it to a voice vote, to which the Senators accepted.
The nominee from Ondo State and a serving member of the National Assembly, Bunmi Tunji-Ojo, also got reprieve, following claims last week that he allegedly forged his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate.
Some Senators who spoke to Senate correspondents described Tunji-Ojo as one of the young people screened by the Senate to join the National Executive Council of President Tinubu.
Tunji-Ojo was amongst the first set of nominees to appear before the Senate.
According to his resume seen by journalists, is an astute administrator and a young politician who chaired the House Committee on NDDC in the 9th Assembly, spearheading a probe that led to a series of reforms in the Commission, as well as compelling the Buhari administration to constitute a new board for the NDDC.
“He is a brilliant mind who has consulted widely in the private sector for notable organisations such as the NNPC, PTDF, World Bank, NCDMB among others.
“He was also the Deputy Director of Policy Research and Strategy Directorate of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council,” a Senator told journalists.
Asked to speak on the controversy surrounding the nominee, the ranking Senator who pleaded to remain anonymous, dismissed media reports against Tunji-Ojo, describing them as mere political intrigues emanating from other interests within his home state.
According to the senator, “Tunji-Ojo went through the whole process of screening by the Department of State Services (DSS), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), before coming to the Senate, and they didn’t find anything ontoward about him. The young man is one brilliant Nigerian that should be supported and given the chance to serve his people in this new capacity.”
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