EXPECTATIONS
are higher after the Senate confirmed all the ministerial nominees from
President Muhammadu Buhari. There are series of permutations and
assumptions on the portfolios to be assigned to each of the
minister-designates. Some lists have gone viral, necessitating a
spontaneous reaction from the Presidency.
Whereas the authorities have urged members of the public to discountenance such lists, some Nigerians believe they could be some iota of truth in what was already in circulation. Such individuals hinged their position on some media reports that preceded the announcement of the list of ministerial nominees by the president in October. A number of high profile politicians, whose names were bandied around were on the lists, which came in two batches.
The current debate in the political circle is not necessarily about which zones will get juicy ministries, The discourse is gradually becoming when the president will allocate portfolios to the minister-designates and set the stage for the inaugural Federal Executive Council (FEC) of the Buhari administration.
The ministers will be assuming office in the midst of an avalanche of challenges; challenge of paucity of fund, abandoned projects, indebtedness to contractors; preparation for 2016 budgets, restructuring of the ministries, to name a few.
Watchers of the National Assembly and the screening process expected the drama that eventually played out during the confirmation of minister-nominees last Thursday. The drama and the altercations had been brewing the day the lawmakers screened the most contentious of them all, former Governor of Rivers state, Chief Rotimi Amaechi.
Before then, Amaechi’s appearance on the floor of the Senate had been deferred twice, as he was kept waiting in the Senate waiting room for two consecutive days. Eventually, it emerged that the screening was being delayed by the report of the Senate committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, which had investigated a petition sent to the Senate by a petitioner from Rivers State and submitted to the Senate by Senator George Thompson Sekibo.
After the coast was cleared for Amaechi to appear on the Senate floor for screening October 20, it was also apparent that the last had not been heard, as the senators of opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) did what is called siddon look by refusing to answer questions from the nominee because of the pending report of the Senate’s Ethics Committee.
Thus, the crisis of confidence that played itself out October 22, at the hallowed chamber of the Senate during the confirmation process of the 18 earlier screened ministerial nominees was expected. Indication had emerged when it was discovered that a deal had to be stuck between Senators of the PDP and their counterparts in the All Progressives Congress (APC) before Amaechi could be allowed to enter the chamber for screening. But it further emerged that the PDP senators felt shortchanged that their APC senators violated the deal by allowing Amaechi answer questions on the floor instead of just allowing him to appear and take a bow, while the report of the Ethics Committee would then be used to determine his fate.
It will be recalled that a petition was submitted against the nomination of Amaechi as a minister, which was referred to the committee on Ethics, Privilege and Public Petitions headed by Senator Samuel Anyanwu for investigations. Contrary to the said agreement between the APC and PDP senators said to have been stuck at a closed session, APC lawmakers went ahead to ask him questions when he appeared in the senate. This however left the PDP senators with the only option of waiting for Amaechi during the confirmation. Since the evil day was only postponed, it was clear that the tension was not over.
Thus, as soon as the screening and confirmation of the national chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was done with, the fireworks began. The day had however started on a very cordial note as members swiftly confirmed the nomination of Professor Mahmood Yakubu as the chairman of the INEC, and five other national commissioners in accordance with Section 154 (1) of the 1999 Constitution.
The lawmakers went into a closed session that lasted nearly two hours to further isolate issues around the confirmation process after which the mood in the chamber changed.
Senate President, Bukola Saraki, who spoke briefly after the doors were flung open, said that the Senate in a closed-session reviewed the debates of the ministerial nominees. He said that the reports of the Ethics Committee had been circulated to Senators to enable them make contributions. Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, later moved that the chamber dissolved into a Committee of the Whole to consider the confirmation of the 18 remaining minister-designates. His motion was immediately seconded by the Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio. The confirmation which started at about 3.18pm was witnessed the height of politicking and drama.
When the name of Professor Anthony Anwuka the Imo State nominee was mentioned, Akpabio rose to confirm that there were unresolved issues against the nominee.. However, Senator Nneji Achonu from also Imo, told his colleagues that the petitions against Anwuka had been withdrawn. At that point Senate President ruled Akpabio out of order and confirmed Professor Anwuka’s nomination.
Thereafter the Committee Chairman on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, was called to read the contents of the report on Amaechi. He told the chamber that the report was signed by seven out of the 11 members adding that the matter under review was in the court. He however added that the committee was of the opinion that the former governor’s confirmation be suspended, pending when a valid court judgment on the issue would be delivered or the case withdrawn.
It was at this point that counter-accusations started flying. Senate Leader, Ndume, who was the first to take the floor, said the report was unnecessary since the upper chamber was already in the process of confirming the nominee alongside others. But, Akpabio quickly said: “We had said that we were not going to make comments after the conclusion of the whole process about Amaechi. I want to move a motion that the Senate do allow a proper discussion of the motion before us.” He declined to second Ndume’s motion contrary to tradition.
However Ndume came again that “My motion is still standing. We need to put it to a vote.” Akpabio rose again to counter Ndume. He argued: “The role of the leader is to lead the Senate properly. What we are saying is that we should consider the report of the committee. Legally speaking, we had agreed here that whenever a report on any nominee was presented, we should debate it. The report has been presented. What the Leader is trying to do is to stop us from debating the report.”
At that point, the Senate President had to intervened and said: “As we have already agreed, we will take the comments after which we will go back to the motion moved by the Senate Leader for consideration.”
Akpabio however insisted that the report of the ethics committee must be considered believing that confirming Amaechi’s nomination in defiance of the ethics panel report would be subjudice, adding that since the Amaechi’s case, which bordered on allegations of corruption, was pending in the Appeal Court, the Senate, by confirming his appointment, would be killing the rest of the case.
Senator Babajide Omoworare (APC Osun East) however attempted to resolve the argument in favour of Amaechi. He said that part of the Senate Standing Rules, upon which the Committee relied on to arrive at its recommendation, was obsolete and irrelevant. The opposition PDP lawmakers shouted him down and he repeatedly called for protection from the Senate President.
Senator George Thompson Sekibo( PDP, Rivers State), the man who submitted the petition against Amaechi told the Senate that confirming the nominee had implications for the image of the chamber and a moral burden on the APC. He said that while the Senators of the PDP were ready to join President Muhammadu Buhari to fight corruption, the APC Senators were condoning corruption. He said that every Senator should be mindful of the fact that whatever they do today will count against them in the future.
Amidst protests and a rowdy session, deputy Senate Minority Whip, Senator Biodun Olujimi, took the floor and declared that the PDP senators were being shut out. She said that the majority party was lording itself over the PDP senators.
She said it was obvious that the APC senators were bent on committing confirming Amaechi against the dictates of the law in view of the allegations against him. Olujimi stated that it was shocking that the government of the APC, which rode to power on the crest of anti-corruption, was condoning allegations of corruption through the move to confirm Amaechi. State further stated that it was obvious that PDP Senators were being shut out, and that in a democracy, the majority will always have their ways.
She however said that there was a moral burden on the APC government and the Senate if it confirms the nomination. She said: “There is a moral burden on President Buhari. Although majority will always have their ways but Nigerians will know that this government is not willing to fight corruption but will condone it all the way”, she stated.
Olujimi insisted that the normal thing was for the Senate to allow the court to decide on the matter and probably absolve the nominee before he is confirmed.
Following their failure to get the report debated, the PDP Senators led by the Minority Leader, Senator Akpabio walked out of the chamber, leaving their APC colleagues to continue with the confirmation process. Thereafter the APC Senators in the chamber rejected the Ethics Committee report and then confirmed Amaechi as a Minister.
Before the drama on Amaechi’s nomination was confirmed, a total of 17 other nominees had been confirmed as ministers by the senators. They included: Adamu Adamu (Bauchi) Professor Anthony Gozie Anwuka (Imo), Okechukwu Enelamah (Abia) Muhammadu Musa Bello (Adamawa) and Ms Aisha Abubakar (Sokoto). Others were: Khadijah Bukar Abba Ibrahim (Yobe) , Claudius Omoleye Daramola (Ondo) , Geoffrey Onyeama (Enugu) Rtd Brigadier General Mohammed M. Dan-Ali (Zamfara) Barrister James E. Ocholi (Kogi) , Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed (Kaduna) , Mustapha Baba Shehuri (Borno) , Senator Heineken Lokpobiri(Bayelsa) Professor Isaac Adewole Folorunsho (Osun) , Pastor Usani Usani Uguru (Cross River) and Abubakar Bwari Bawa (Niger).Barrister Adebayo Shittu,Oyo State.
The PDP senators immediately held a press briefing at the Senate Hearing Room One the same day to further clarify their position. Akpabio, who spoke on behalf of his caucus, said, “We were shut out when we wanted to react to the report when it was laid. There was a little bit of something we don’t think is in conformity with morality there. Once a case is before a competent court of law, any action on that matter is subjudice. The committee was able to establish that the issues that were brought against the nominee are already issues that were adjudicated upon by the Court of Appeal and other courts of competent jurisdiction. So, the issue of taking further action on his nomination, whether by way of appointment or otherwise, did not exist.
Whether the PDP senators would continue to be loyal to Saraki after the development, Akpabio said, “The Senate president was returned unopposed hence there was no voting so nobody can say that anybody supported the president.”
Outside the Senate chamber, the PDP attempted to draw political capital from the incident, when it’s National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh said after the party’s National Caucus meeting that the PDP was firmly in support of the senator and their decision to walk-out in protest during the confirmation of Amaechi.
Outside the drama and intrigues over Amaechi, a number of nominees had showed their stuff on the floor of the Senate during the screening. One of them was the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Isaac Adewole, who was nominated to represent Osun state.
He was made to answer questions in different areas of Medicine as well as education. Adewole, an obstetrician/gynecologist, informed that falling standard of education in Nigeria is something that university administrators have to deal with but added that the problem was deep-seated. He said: “We are dealing with a chronic situation of under-funding persistently over several years. We are dealing with a situation characterized by lack of moral and dilapidated infrastructure. “Nigeria is funding education to the tune of 1.7 per cent of the GDP. A World Bank survey of 41 countries in sub-Sahara Africa noted that Nigeria had only three countries below it: South Sudan, Zimbabwe and Zambia. We need to put money in education. We need to recognise education as a vital tool to promote not only economy but this nation’s development.”
Hajia Zainab Ahmed, the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) told the Senate that NEITI audit report was unique when asked about reports of the body which never got implemented. She said: “It’s not an audit in the true sense of the word. It’s a process that seeks to find what is wrong and makes specific recommendations for improvement. But I also want to quickly add that NEITI as an organisation has slow implementation of the recommendations of its audit report. And I hope that the 8th National Assembly will put paid to that.
“My suggestion will be that when an audit is conducted, like the NEITI, the recommendations of this audit should be implemented. We should not do reports and the reports sit on shelves, unattended to and unimplemented. We have done so many reviews, the analysis is on the table, it’s already available. We don’t have to do any extra work. All we need to do is take these recommendations and start implementing them.
On the drop in the oil price she informed the Senate the drop in oil price should be seen as an opportunity to look inwards at the agricultural as well as mining sector that have been ignored over the years. She also said that the development would enable the country look at our responsibility in collecting taxes and expanding the tax base.
Another ministerial nominee who took his chances well at the screening was Mr. Okechukwu Enelamah from Abia State; a medical Doctor turned financial expert. He identified the need for economic direction, macro-economic stability, investment-friendly environment and infrastructure improvement as panacea for economic growth and development.
He explained that in creating an enabling environment, government should not be an active player and a regulator at the same time; saying: “The final thing has to do with infrastructure. I believe that by creating both the soft infrastructure which is judiciary and security and the hard infrastructure like power, road, rail then people can come in and conduct their own business.
Whereas the authorities have urged members of the public to discountenance such lists, some Nigerians believe they could be some iota of truth in what was already in circulation. Such individuals hinged their position on some media reports that preceded the announcement of the list of ministerial nominees by the president in October. A number of high profile politicians, whose names were bandied around were on the lists, which came in two batches.
The current debate in the political circle is not necessarily about which zones will get juicy ministries, The discourse is gradually becoming when the president will allocate portfolios to the minister-designates and set the stage for the inaugural Federal Executive Council (FEC) of the Buhari administration.
The ministers will be assuming office in the midst of an avalanche of challenges; challenge of paucity of fund, abandoned projects, indebtedness to contractors; preparation for 2016 budgets, restructuring of the ministries, to name a few.
Watchers of the National Assembly and the screening process expected the drama that eventually played out during the confirmation of minister-nominees last Thursday. The drama and the altercations had been brewing the day the lawmakers screened the most contentious of them all, former Governor of Rivers state, Chief Rotimi Amaechi.
Before then, Amaechi’s appearance on the floor of the Senate had been deferred twice, as he was kept waiting in the Senate waiting room for two consecutive days. Eventually, it emerged that the screening was being delayed by the report of the Senate committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, which had investigated a petition sent to the Senate by a petitioner from Rivers State and submitted to the Senate by Senator George Thompson Sekibo.
After the coast was cleared for Amaechi to appear on the Senate floor for screening October 20, it was also apparent that the last had not been heard, as the senators of opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) did what is called siddon look by refusing to answer questions from the nominee because of the pending report of the Senate’s Ethics Committee.
Thus, the crisis of confidence that played itself out October 22, at the hallowed chamber of the Senate during the confirmation process of the 18 earlier screened ministerial nominees was expected. Indication had emerged when it was discovered that a deal had to be stuck between Senators of the PDP and their counterparts in the All Progressives Congress (APC) before Amaechi could be allowed to enter the chamber for screening. But it further emerged that the PDP senators felt shortchanged that their APC senators violated the deal by allowing Amaechi answer questions on the floor instead of just allowing him to appear and take a bow, while the report of the Ethics Committee would then be used to determine his fate.
It will be recalled that a petition was submitted against the nomination of Amaechi as a minister, which was referred to the committee on Ethics, Privilege and Public Petitions headed by Senator Samuel Anyanwu for investigations. Contrary to the said agreement between the APC and PDP senators said to have been stuck at a closed session, APC lawmakers went ahead to ask him questions when he appeared in the senate. This however left the PDP senators with the only option of waiting for Amaechi during the confirmation. Since the evil day was only postponed, it was clear that the tension was not over.
Thus, as soon as the screening and confirmation of the national chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was done with, the fireworks began. The day had however started on a very cordial note as members swiftly confirmed the nomination of Professor Mahmood Yakubu as the chairman of the INEC, and five other national commissioners in accordance with Section 154 (1) of the 1999 Constitution.
The lawmakers went into a closed session that lasted nearly two hours to further isolate issues around the confirmation process after which the mood in the chamber changed.
Senate President, Bukola Saraki, who spoke briefly after the doors were flung open, said that the Senate in a closed-session reviewed the debates of the ministerial nominees. He said that the reports of the Ethics Committee had been circulated to Senators to enable them make contributions. Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, later moved that the chamber dissolved into a Committee of the Whole to consider the confirmation of the 18 remaining minister-designates. His motion was immediately seconded by the Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio. The confirmation which started at about 3.18pm was witnessed the height of politicking and drama.
When the name of Professor Anthony Anwuka the Imo State nominee was mentioned, Akpabio rose to confirm that there were unresolved issues against the nominee.. However, Senator Nneji Achonu from also Imo, told his colleagues that the petitions against Anwuka had been withdrawn. At that point Senate President ruled Akpabio out of order and confirmed Professor Anwuka’s nomination.
Thereafter the Committee Chairman on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, was called to read the contents of the report on Amaechi. He told the chamber that the report was signed by seven out of the 11 members adding that the matter under review was in the court. He however added that the committee was of the opinion that the former governor’s confirmation be suspended, pending when a valid court judgment on the issue would be delivered or the case withdrawn.
It was at this point that counter-accusations started flying. Senate Leader, Ndume, who was the first to take the floor, said the report was unnecessary since the upper chamber was already in the process of confirming the nominee alongside others. But, Akpabio quickly said: “We had said that we were not going to make comments after the conclusion of the whole process about Amaechi. I want to move a motion that the Senate do allow a proper discussion of the motion before us.” He declined to second Ndume’s motion contrary to tradition.
However Ndume came again that “My motion is still standing. We need to put it to a vote.” Akpabio rose again to counter Ndume. He argued: “The role of the leader is to lead the Senate properly. What we are saying is that we should consider the report of the committee. Legally speaking, we had agreed here that whenever a report on any nominee was presented, we should debate it. The report has been presented. What the Leader is trying to do is to stop us from debating the report.”
At that point, the Senate President had to intervened and said: “As we have already agreed, we will take the comments after which we will go back to the motion moved by the Senate Leader for consideration.”
Akpabio however insisted that the report of the ethics committee must be considered believing that confirming Amaechi’s nomination in defiance of the ethics panel report would be subjudice, adding that since the Amaechi’s case, which bordered on allegations of corruption, was pending in the Appeal Court, the Senate, by confirming his appointment, would be killing the rest of the case.
Senator Babajide Omoworare (APC Osun East) however attempted to resolve the argument in favour of Amaechi. He said that part of the Senate Standing Rules, upon which the Committee relied on to arrive at its recommendation, was obsolete and irrelevant. The opposition PDP lawmakers shouted him down and he repeatedly called for protection from the Senate President.
Senator George Thompson Sekibo( PDP, Rivers State), the man who submitted the petition against Amaechi told the Senate that confirming the nominee had implications for the image of the chamber and a moral burden on the APC. He said that while the Senators of the PDP were ready to join President Muhammadu Buhari to fight corruption, the APC Senators were condoning corruption. He said that every Senator should be mindful of the fact that whatever they do today will count against them in the future.
Amidst protests and a rowdy session, deputy Senate Minority Whip, Senator Biodun Olujimi, took the floor and declared that the PDP senators were being shut out. She said that the majority party was lording itself over the PDP senators.
She said it was obvious that the APC senators were bent on committing confirming Amaechi against the dictates of the law in view of the allegations against him. Olujimi stated that it was shocking that the government of the APC, which rode to power on the crest of anti-corruption, was condoning allegations of corruption through the move to confirm Amaechi. State further stated that it was obvious that PDP Senators were being shut out, and that in a democracy, the majority will always have their ways.
She however said that there was a moral burden on the APC government and the Senate if it confirms the nomination. She said: “There is a moral burden on President Buhari. Although majority will always have their ways but Nigerians will know that this government is not willing to fight corruption but will condone it all the way”, she stated.
Olujimi insisted that the normal thing was for the Senate to allow the court to decide on the matter and probably absolve the nominee before he is confirmed.
Following their failure to get the report debated, the PDP Senators led by the Minority Leader, Senator Akpabio walked out of the chamber, leaving their APC colleagues to continue with the confirmation process. Thereafter the APC Senators in the chamber rejected the Ethics Committee report and then confirmed Amaechi as a Minister.
Before the drama on Amaechi’s nomination was confirmed, a total of 17 other nominees had been confirmed as ministers by the senators. They included: Adamu Adamu (Bauchi) Professor Anthony Gozie Anwuka (Imo), Okechukwu Enelamah (Abia) Muhammadu Musa Bello (Adamawa) and Ms Aisha Abubakar (Sokoto). Others were: Khadijah Bukar Abba Ibrahim (Yobe) , Claudius Omoleye Daramola (Ondo) , Geoffrey Onyeama (Enugu) Rtd Brigadier General Mohammed M. Dan-Ali (Zamfara) Barrister James E. Ocholi (Kogi) , Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed (Kaduna) , Mustapha Baba Shehuri (Borno) , Senator Heineken Lokpobiri(Bayelsa) Professor Isaac Adewole Folorunsho (Osun) , Pastor Usani Usani Uguru (Cross River) and Abubakar Bwari Bawa (Niger).Barrister Adebayo Shittu,Oyo State.
The PDP senators immediately held a press briefing at the Senate Hearing Room One the same day to further clarify their position. Akpabio, who spoke on behalf of his caucus, said, “We were shut out when we wanted to react to the report when it was laid. There was a little bit of something we don’t think is in conformity with morality there. Once a case is before a competent court of law, any action on that matter is subjudice. The committee was able to establish that the issues that were brought against the nominee are already issues that were adjudicated upon by the Court of Appeal and other courts of competent jurisdiction. So, the issue of taking further action on his nomination, whether by way of appointment or otherwise, did not exist.
Whether the PDP senators would continue to be loyal to Saraki after the development, Akpabio said, “The Senate president was returned unopposed hence there was no voting so nobody can say that anybody supported the president.”
Outside the Senate chamber, the PDP attempted to draw political capital from the incident, when it’s National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh said after the party’s National Caucus meeting that the PDP was firmly in support of the senator and their decision to walk-out in protest during the confirmation of Amaechi.
Outside the drama and intrigues over Amaechi, a number of nominees had showed their stuff on the floor of the Senate during the screening. One of them was the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Isaac Adewole, who was nominated to represent Osun state.
He was made to answer questions in different areas of Medicine as well as education. Adewole, an obstetrician/gynecologist, informed that falling standard of education in Nigeria is something that university administrators have to deal with but added that the problem was deep-seated. He said: “We are dealing with a chronic situation of under-funding persistently over several years. We are dealing with a situation characterized by lack of moral and dilapidated infrastructure. “Nigeria is funding education to the tune of 1.7 per cent of the GDP. A World Bank survey of 41 countries in sub-Sahara Africa noted that Nigeria had only three countries below it: South Sudan, Zimbabwe and Zambia. We need to put money in education. We need to recognise education as a vital tool to promote not only economy but this nation’s development.”
Hajia Zainab Ahmed, the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) told the Senate that NEITI audit report was unique when asked about reports of the body which never got implemented. She said: “It’s not an audit in the true sense of the word. It’s a process that seeks to find what is wrong and makes specific recommendations for improvement. But I also want to quickly add that NEITI as an organisation has slow implementation of the recommendations of its audit report. And I hope that the 8th National Assembly will put paid to that.
“My suggestion will be that when an audit is conducted, like the NEITI, the recommendations of this audit should be implemented. We should not do reports and the reports sit on shelves, unattended to and unimplemented. We have done so many reviews, the analysis is on the table, it’s already available. We don’t have to do any extra work. All we need to do is take these recommendations and start implementing them.
On the drop in the oil price she informed the Senate the drop in oil price should be seen as an opportunity to look inwards at the agricultural as well as mining sector that have been ignored over the years. She also said that the development would enable the country look at our responsibility in collecting taxes and expanding the tax base.
Another ministerial nominee who took his chances well at the screening was Mr. Okechukwu Enelamah from Abia State; a medical Doctor turned financial expert. He identified the need for economic direction, macro-economic stability, investment-friendly environment and infrastructure improvement as panacea for economic growth and development.
He explained that in creating an enabling environment, government should not be an active player and a regulator at the same time; saying: “The final thing has to do with infrastructure. I believe that by creating both the soft infrastructure which is judiciary and security and the hard infrastructure like power, road, rail then people can come in and conduct their own business.
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