The screening of the first batch of ministerial nominees forwarded to the Senate by President Bola Tinubu has begun on Monday afternoon.
Recall that a list of 28 ministerial nominees selected from 25 States of the Federation was forwarded to the Senate last week.
The Senate is currently holding a special plenary session specifically for the screening exercise.
LEADERSHIP reports that Section 147 (3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) mandates the President to appoint at least one minister from each of the 36 states. However, 11 states – Adamawa, Bayelsa, Gombe, Kano, Kebbi, Kogi, Lagos, Osun, Yobe, Plateau and Zamfara — and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) don’t have ministerial nominees yet.
In his letter to the Senate last week titled, ‘Request For Confirmation Of Ministerial-Nominees’, President Tinubu said supplementary ministerial list would be sent to the Red Chamber in due course.
The Senate’s special sitting, which commenced past noon, was earlier devoted to another issue of national importance – the planned strike action by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) over the fuel subsidy removal and its attendant effects on Nigerian workers.
According to the Senate’s order paper for the special plenary session and barring last-minute change of plan, 16 nominees were scheduled for screening on the first day of the exercise even though they will not be attended to in any particular order as only those present and ready will be screened:
1. Sen. Abubakar S. Kyari (Borno State)
2. Abubakar Eshiokpekha Momoh Edo State
3. Nyesom Ezenwo Wike (Rivers State)
4. Engr. Prof. Joseph Terlumun Utsev (Benue State)
5. Sen. John Owan Enoh (Cross River State)
6. Hon.(Bar) Bello Muhammad (Sokoto State)
7. Mohammed Badaru Abubakar (Jigawa State)
8. Amb.Yusuf Maitama Tuggar (Bauchi State)
9. Sen. Abubakar Sani Danladi (Taraba State)
10. Barr. Uju-Ken Ohaneye(Anambra State)
11. Hon. (Dr). Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo (Ondo State)
12. Dr. Betta C.Edu (Cross River State)
13. Imaan Sulaiman Ibrahim(Nassarawa State)
14. Arch. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa (Katsina State)
15. Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji (Enugu State)
16. Stella Erhuvwuoghene Okotete(Delta State)
Currently, the Senate is attending to the number 2 nominee on list as contained in the Order Paper – Hon. Abubakar Eshiokpekha Momoh from Edo State – a former member of the House of Representatives.
