President Bola Tinubu should submit the list of ministerial
nominees for screening with their portfolios, a two-term member of the House of
Representatives, Dr Alex Egbona, has said.
According to Egbona, the decision would help ensure that the
right questions are asked of the ministerial nominees during screening.
He also defended the ‘bow and go’ screening policy of the
Senate which shields ministerial nominees from rigorous questioning.
He said that the culture of ‘bow and go’ was to show
comradeship to nominees with legislative experience.
Egbona representing the Abi/Yakurr federal constituency of
Cross River State made the suggestions in an interview with journalists in
Abuja on Friday at the graduation ceremony of Cohorts 12 of the advanced
leadership programme of the GOTNI National Leadership Centre.
The programme, a five-day training on leadership, had 21
students graduating from the GOTNI LC.
During the event, the CEO of GOTNI LC, Dr Linus Okorie,
appealed to the president to appoint only people who are action-oriented and
filled with pursuit of service beyond self as ministers.
He said Tinubu must also “find individuals who are
passionate in specific areas to take charge, those who have competence,
knowledge, and have the leadership capital and have the capacity to think
differently.
“There should be competence in the person’s specific field
of study that is in line with the ministry that the individual is absolutely
going to take care of.
“So what it means is
that you will want to find individuals who are passionate in specific areas to
take charge, who have competence, knowledge, and leadership capital, which
means they must have honour written in their names and have the capacity to
think differently. They would bring innovation to the table and are individuals
who make things happen. They are action-oriented, filled with the pursuit of
service, beyond self.”
Speaking further, Egbona said it is wrong to send names of
ministers without portfolios.
“To some extent, it is wrong to send ministers’ names
without portfolio. Though it is the senate arm of the national assembly that
screens ministers we believe very soon, the president, in the next two to three
weeks, will send the names of ministers and may even attach their portfolios.
“Most times, what the senate does is to ask general
questions but if it comes with portfolio and they say for instance, Mr AYZ, you
are the minister of agriculture, all the questions will be towards agric. So if
the president attaches ministry to the names, it will be very good,” Egbona
stated.
Egbona, who was also part of the graduating cohorts further
defended the Senate’s ‘bow and go’ screening policy, which shields ministerial
nominees from rigorous questioning.
While stating that the culture was to show comradeship to
nominees with legislative experience, he stressed the need for his colleagues
to strengthen the oversight function of the National Assembly.
The lawmaker said, “The bow and go culture is to promote
comradeship. They are simply encouraging those that have been part of the
system. Though there is no legal procedure for that, it is out of friendship.
“On oversight, in the 9th National Assembly, I have had the
opportunity to attend some oversight but was not too encouraged with what we
did. If you go to a ministry or parastatal, scrutinize what they are doing and
if they are not doing well, bring a report saying they are not doing well.
There should not be hide-and-seek business in oversight. That is what the 10th
agenda is saying.”
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