Nigeria's Senate President, Bukola Saraki, on Wednesday received the ministerial nominees list at about 4:56pm from the Presidency but said the content of the presidential communication would be read on Tuesday.
The Senate had adjourned plenary at 2:00pm on Wednesday till Tuesday, October 6.
According to Punch newspaper, 21 names were contained in the list.
The Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, in company with the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Ita Enang, delivered the list in a sealed envelope to the Senate President in his office.
Saraki, who left the office around 5:30pm, later spoke to journalists through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Alhaji Yusuph Olaniyonu, explaining that the list would be read on the floor during plenary Tuesday next week.
“The Senate president received the ministerial list around 5:00pm this evening but no action would be taken on it until next week Tuesday. The envelope is still sealed,” Olaniyonu told journalists.
According to Punch newspaper, a former Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola; and a former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, made the list.
Also said to be on the list are Kayode Fayemi, a former governor of Ekiti State; a former Governor of Anambra State, Chris Ngige; and a one-time Governor of Abia State, Ogbonaya Onu.
Malami Abubakar, SAN, a former National Legal Adviser to the defunct Congress for Progressives Change; Aisha Alhassan, a former governorship candidate of the APC in Taraba State; and Amina Mohammed, a special adviser to the Secretary-General of the United nations, Ban Ki-Moon, also made the ministerial list. Same for a former finance commissioner in Ogun State, Kunle Adeosun.
Curiously, the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Ibe Kachikwu, is said to be on the list, perhaps to combine his headship of the NNPC with junior petroleum minister. portfolio. Buhari has already announced himself as the substantive Minister of Petroleum.
The President had pledged that his ministerial nominees would be submitted to the Senate for screening and approval before the end of September thus raising fears on Wednesday that Buhari had failed to keep his promise to Nigerians.
Also, the Senate had earlier on Wednesday announced that the President had yet to send the list of ministers.
The Chairman, Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Media and Publicity, Dino Melaye, who addressed journalists shortly after the Senate had adjourned to Tuesday next week, however urged Nigerians not to lose hope because the September deadline given by Buhari would not expire until midnight.
Melaye had said, “We want to announce that we are still waiting for the ministerial list from Mr. President and I want to advise that there is no need for agitation as September expires by 12 midnight today (Wednesday).
“We want to assure Nigerians that as soon as we get possession of this list we will communicate same to Nigerians through the National Assembly Press Corps.”
He had also reiterated his earlier statement that the Senate “will attend to the ministerial nominees expeditiously but diligently, once the list was sent by the President.”
“Due process will be followed and I repeat that it is not going to be business as usual; we are going to properly screen all nominees and only those who meet the constitutional and moral requirements shall be cleared,” he had added.
Melaye explained that the Senate would as from next week start the consideration of all the communication earlier presented to it by the President concerning some appointments made while the Senate was on recess.
Buhari had on Tuesday sent a letter to the Senate, seeking the confirmation of the appointment of Prof. Umaru Garba Danbatta as the Executive Vice-Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, for a first term of five years.
Buhari in another letter sought the confirmation of the appointment of Dr. William Babatunde Fowler as Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Board for a four-year term while in another letter, the President sought the confirmation of the appointment of the Managing Director and three executive directors for the Assets Management Company of Nigeria.
The nominees are Kuru as Managing Director; Kola Ayeye, Eberechukwu Uneze and Aminu Ismail as executive directors.
However, the Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, had during plenary on Tuesday expressed concern that the Senate president did not read out the list of ministerial nominees despite the fact that newspapers had reported that it was in the Senate.
Akpabio, who had raised a point of order, citing order 14, also noted that the situation became worrisome in view of the fact that the September 30 deadline promised by Buhari would lapse on Wednesday.
But Akpabio’s argument had been countered by the Deputy Senate Leader, Bala Ibn Na’Allah, who explained that the list could still be sent before midnight on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the Senator representing Osun Central Senatorial District, Prof. Olusola Adeyeye, was on Wednesday announced as the Senate Chief Whip by Saraki.
Adeyeye was unanimously endorsed by the South-West caucus of the All Progressives Congress in the red chamber on June 24.
His name was on the list of principal officers approved by the APC leadership as contained in a letter addressed to the Senate president by the National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie – Oyegun, on June 23. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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Nigeria is a big joke. Fill your cabinet with looters and bandits? Buhari I don't blame you. Thieves put you in power so you have to compensate them
ReplyDeleteYou are a senile person that sees who act on rumours and hear-say. You need to prove and give verifiable facts on who are the "thieves" what are their offence and who has been convicted in the courts, instead of casting a sweeping generalisation characterised by baseless accusations and sentiments that will take us no where. Please listen more and talk less... you will not sound stupid when next you talk.
DeleteLet learn to support our country, change comes gradually please. Is the people he knows that he ll appoint
DeleteI hope you understand the meaning of the word "senile". Does it apply only when APC members are accused of corruption, but you are free to abuse the previous administration of corrupt practices without proof. Stop throwing insults and be analytical in your opinions.
Deleteanonymous 7:54 is just a typical APC fan; quick to defend and fast to deal blows to the opposition, most times baseless and senseless. You obviously need to listen more than you talk, listen to programs like the platform so you'll understand what change really is and be able to discern if we (Nigerians) are on the right path, or if we have not just succeeded in recycling the old block, clueless and unable to steer the wheel in the right direction.
DeleteGod help us!
Let's wait and confirm if really these bandit ex-looters made the list.
ReplyDeleteIf you have any proof againts any body please present to EFCC or ICPC .
ReplyDeleteWhy the secrecy about the ministerial list? After all it must be made public. Or are they afraid of any anomalies in the appointments?
ReplyDeleteWho amongst them is not corrupt? Thieves put Buhari in power and he is compensating them however corrupt they may be. The same happened with Jonathan. So where is d change?
ReplyDeleteWho amongst them is not corrupt? Thieves put Buhari in power and he is compensating them however corrupt they may be. The same happened with Jonathan. So where is d change?
ReplyDeleteThis was why they sent PDP PARKING. They want looters and know corrupt people to fill there pockets from the investments they made from there states to fund presidential election . E.g Rotimi of Rivers state did nothing in his state Rivers state is said to be oil rich but its a shame he could not develop the state to oil rich standard.there roads are narrow. The people poor and hungry. Its a shame that Governors who destroyed the PDP in a clear show of disloyalty without any integrity in them are again being listed as umpires in this new Government. God help Nigeria
ReplyDeleteIf Amechi is on that list then Buhari should stop all this noise about fighting corruption.
ReplyDeleteIf Amechi is on that list then Buhari should stop all this noise about fighting corruption.
ReplyDeleteI will be the happiest person if Fasola and Rotimi made the list.
ReplyDeleteTrue and real politicians knows where to go if any of these guys are found wanting.
You can not just come to the air and make blanket accusation without supporting your myopic argument. corruption
It goes to show that some of you have been brain washed by your so called corrupt leaders.
friends. Can't you use your brain to think your self. The moment you allowed others to think for you, you are no longer the owner of you self but a slave, who is not free to think for him self. It's a shame.
You are brainless. How many people have been found guilty of corrupt practices in this country.
DeleteThis is a big Joke. But I trust Nigerians. Time will tell. How can one preaching change fill his cabinet with these people. Looting has now change gear to for faster acceleration. Amechi ke! Haba! Olee! Olee! Olee! Olee! Olee! oooooooooooooooooooooh! God Bless Nigeria
ReplyDelete