Ministerial Screening: Amaechi, Fashola, Alhassan, Others Appear Today
Similarly, the Senate president, Dr. Bukola Saraki, also read out the names of the 16 fresh ministerial nominees submitted to the Senate on Monday evening by the chief of staff to the president, Abba Kyari.
Those on the second batch of the list include Khadija Bukar Abba Ibrahim, Claudius Omoleye Daramola, Prof Anthony Anwuka, Geoffrey Onyeama, Brig-Gen M. M. Dan-Ali, Barrister James Ocholi, Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed, Okechukwu Enelamah, Muhammadu Bello, Mustapha Baba Shehuri, Ms Aisha Abubakar, Heineken Lokpobiri, Adamu Adamu, Prof Isaac Adewole, Pastor Usani Usani Uguru and Abubakar Bwari Bawa.
The screening of the initial nominees, which commenced around 11am yesterday, lasted about six hours with senators grilling the nominees on various national issues.
Nominees screened yesterday were Senator Udoma Udo-Udoma, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Chief Audu Ogbeh, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, Lt-General Abdurrahman Dambazau (retd), Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Mrs Amina Mohammed, Sulaiman Adamu and Ibrahim Usman Jibril.
Former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi; his counterpart part from Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola and the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Taraba State in the last general election, Senator Aisha Al-Hassan, are among the 11 other first-batch nominees yet to be cleared by the lawmakers.
Senator Udo-Udoma was the first to take the stand yesterday during the ministerial screening. As a former senator he was asked to take a bow and go after the Senate president asked him few questions as is the tradition and convention of the Senate.
Former governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, during his screening was asked to render an account of his tenure as the chief executive of Ekiti State. He defended his records, adding that Ekiti is number 35 on the revenue list of Nigeria and with an average of N3bn from the federation account, with salaries alone standing at N2.4bn a month at the time.
He also disclosed that he built the Ekiti Government House with N2.5bn, the cheapest in Nigeria, and refuted allegations that he purchased a N50m bed.
The former Ekiti governor identified teacher quality problem and mismatch between career need and enrolment as the biggest problems bedeviling the nation’s educational system.
On issues of poverty, corruption and the Nigerian economy, Fayemi said: “Poverty is not indomitable; China has lifted her citizens above the poverty level. The major problem in Nigeria is that the gap between the mindlessly rich and the hopelessly poor is too wide and must be bridged.
“There is too much concentration of power at the centre; therefore, there is need for devolution of power in Nigeria. Corruption must be tackled head-on. The amount of leakages in our revenue system is unacceptable, and must be promptly addressed. We have to reduce our recurrent expenditure and increase our capital expenditure in this country; otherwise we won’t be able to develop meaningfully.
“We have to diversify our economy, and it is achievable. Our criminal justice system has to be revisited. People don’t get punished for committing crimes in Nigeria. Our prisons have been saturated by those who are denied Justice.”
On his part, APC chieftain, Chief Audu Ogbeh, a well-known farmer, was grilled on issues relating to agriculture and on why politicians easily move from one party to another.
In his responses, he explained how the government would revamp the agricultural sector and create millions of jobs for the youths, but he lamented that banks’ high interest rates were mitigating against the growth of agriculture in the country. He blamed lack of internal democracy as the reason why politicians find it easy switching political parties at will.
“The major problem of agriculture in Nigeria is bad seedlings. We have the worst seeds to plant. Agricultural extension workers should be engaged in the local government areas to teach farmers on the best seeds to plant to improve our agricultural production.
“Nigeria is facing great danger if our agricultural production continues to go down. We have to work hard to stabilize agriculture. The greatest problem facing the development of agriculture in the country today is the high and indeed outrageous interest rates being charged by the commercial banks in Nigeria,” he stated.
Former governor of Abia State, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu responded to the questions on how to revive the power sector. Unlike his colleagues, he was not questioned much; he was soon told to take a bow.
Dr. Ehanire, a surgeon, was interviewed on issues relating to medicine as it was expected he would be given the health ministry, given training as a medical doctor. He was grilled on how he would restructure the health sector if appointed health minister. His responses were apt and clear.
He was also asked why doctors in the country had challenges in giving the right diagnoses to patients. He also proffered solutions on how the menace could be corrected.
Former chief of army staff, General Dambazau (retd) did not disappoint the senators who grilled him on issues related to insecurity and insurgency in the country. He was also grilled on how he handled the issue of security when he held sway as army chief. He explained how he would change the tide against the insurgents and ensure the protection of the sovereignty of Nigeria.
Spokesman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Lai Mohammed, vowed to discharge his duties with the same zeal and passion he applied to his job as opposition spokesman, and although the Senate minority leader, Godswill Akpabio, insisted that the Kwara-born politician respond to more questions, he was asked to take a bow.
Mrs Amina Mohammed, who had been cleared of the petition against her by the Ethics and Privileges Committee before the screening, answered questions with aplomb and was asked to take a bow.
Another nominee, Engr Sulaiman Adamu, during his screening, was asked how he would ensure the provision of potable water to every nook and cranny of the country if appointed water resources minister. He gave useful insights on what to expect. Like the rest, he took a bow and left the chamber.
Jibril, who previously served as a senior official at the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), answered questions from senators on issues bordering on the development of the capital territory. In his response, he proffered solutions on how to tackle the spiraling population growth. He also took a bow and left the chamber.
The screening of Rotimi Amaechi, Senator Aisha Alhassan (Taraba), Senator Chris Ngige (Anambra), Hadi Sirika, Babatunde Fashola, SAN, Kemi Adeosun (Ogun), Abubakar Malami, SAN, (Kebbi), Barrister Adebayo Shittu (Oyo), Solomon Dalong (Plateau), Ibe Kachikwu (Delta), and Ahmed Isa Ibeto (Niger) is expected to take place today.
Meanwhile, those on the new list include Khadija Bukar Abba Ibrahim (the wife of former Yobe governor and current senator), Claudius Omoleye Daramola, Professor Anthony Anwuka, Geoffrey Onyeama, Brig.-Gen. MM Dan-Ali (retd), James E. Ocholi, Zainab Shasuna Ahmed and Okechuku Enelamah.
Others are Muhammadu Bello, Mustapha Baba Shehuri, Aisha Abubakar, Heineken Lokpobiri, Adamu Adamu, Professor Isaac Adewole, Pastor Usani Usani Uguru and Abubakar Bawa Bwari.
Deputy Minority Whip Phillip Aduda protested the non-inclusion of an FCT native the final list. Quoting the constitution, he urged the National Assembly, which is the legislative arm of the FCT, to appeal to the president to correct the anomaly.
In his response, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu faulted the presidency on the grounds that nominees’ states of origin were not included in the letter, saying he could not identify the nominee from his own state, Enugu, from the list.
Meanwhile, the Senate has explained why former governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Amaechi, could not be screened along with other nominees yesterday. Briefing journalists after the Senate adjourned sitting to tomorrow, chairman of the adhoc committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Dino Melaye, said the recommendations of the Committee on Ethics and Public Petitions would be adopted during plenary today, after which Amaechi would be cleared for screening.
Melaye said: “We expect that tomorrow (Wednesday) we will screen minimum of 10. We will see how we can extend the time and screen all the nominees by Thursday evening, including the new ones. We expect them to submit their CVs to the Senate president on before 10am today. Amaechi was supposed to appear today since his CV was already with the Senate.
“The reason why he was not taken was because the report of the Committee on Ethics and Public Petitions was not ready. The report will be adopted tomorrow (today) and he will be cleared for screening. He will undergo the screening exercise tomorrow (today).”
Profile of Some of the new Nominees
Khadija Bukar Abba Ibrahim (born January 6, 1967), wife of Senator Bukar Abba Ibrahim, is a politician and current All Progressives Congress member of the House of Representatives for Damaturu/Gujba/Gulani/Tarmuwa in Yobe State.
She was educated at Headington School, Oxford, Padworth College, and the University of Surrey (BSc Business Studies and Sociology, 1989).
Adamu Adamu
A renowned public analyst and columnist with Daily Trust, Malam Adamu Adamu, to many, needs no introduction. He is a public commentator with a distinct style – fearless, educated and bold enough to express his views, both locally and internationally. A native of Bauchi State, Adamu was one of the few who constantly criticized the government of former Governor Adamu Mu’azu, now the PDP national chairman.
Beyond his state, he has written on so many issues happening in other states of the country. He has also written so many times on international politics. He has been an ardent follower of Buhari for many years and was, indeed, part of those who accompanied the General to Bauchi State during the 2007 elections to sell the candidacy of Governor Isa Yuguda as the then ANPP gubernatorial candidate.
James Ocholi (SAN)
Ocholi was Kogi State coordinator of the Muhammadu Buhari presidential campaign and deputy national adviser of the APC.
Heineken Lokpobiri
Senator Lokpobiri (born March 3, 1967) received an LL.B (Hons) in 1994 from Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt, in February 1995.
He was elected to the Senate for the Bayelsa West constituency in 2007 on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) platform and was appointed to committees on Sports, Public Accounts, Police Affairs, Niger Delta and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Mustapha Baba Shehuri
Born in 1961 and from Maiduguri, Borno State, Hon Shehuri studied sociology in the university.
Prof Anthony Anwuka
Anwuka hails from Imo and was the former secretary to the state government (SSG). He is also an in-law to Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha.
Prof Isaac Odewole
Odewole was born on August 5, 1959. He is a professor of African History, Peace and Conflict Studies and the current director of the Institute of African Studies at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. In 1996, he initiated the academic link between the University of Ibadan and University of Ulster, Northern Ireland, which led to the commencement of the Peace and Conflict Studies Programme of the University of Ibadan in 2000.
He is a specialist in conflict analysis and process planning. He was the UNDP (Accra, Ghana) consultant for the establishment of the MA Peace and Development Studies course of the University of Cape Coast, Ghana, in 2006. In 2007, he served as the Country Director of the Nigeria Office of the Institute for Democracy in South Africa (IDASA-Nigeria). He was at the University of Ilorin (Nigeria) during the 2008/2009 academic session to establish the University’s Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies which currently runs MA and Ph.D courses in Peace and Development Studies. In 2006, he won the Africa Peace Education Prize of the California State University, Sacramento (USA).
He was the convener of the 2008 Extended Workshop on Social History jointly sponsored by SEPHIS (Netherlands) and the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) on “Historicizing Migration”, St. Louis, Senegal, 3-21 March 2008. This project involved scholars from different parts of Africa, Asia, Caribbean and Latin America.
He is a member of the International Network to Promote the Rule of Law, and a Fellow and current Board chairman of the Society for Peace Studies and Practice (SPSP). He is a Regional Board member of the West African Network for Peace Building (Accra, Ghana) and an associate member of the Finnish Folklore Fellows (Helsinki).
Abubakar Bawa Bwari
Hon Bwari, popularly called ABB by his admirers, was born on November 4, 1963 in Tafa LGA, Niger State. He had his primary education in Sokoto and Minna before proceeding to Government Secondary School, Suleja, where he obtained his GCE “O” levels in 1982. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Geography (1986) and a Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning (1990) from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and is a registered member of both the Nigeria Institute of Town Planners and Town Planning Registration Council.
Bwari is also an experienced and successful politician. He was elected a member of the House of Representatives for Suleja/Gurara/Tafa Federal Constituency in 1998 and subsequently became Chief Whip of the House, a position where he served meritoriously over a period spanning 1999-2007. During his eventful period of service in the House of Reps, he was also elected as Vice President, African, Caribbean, Pacific and European Union (ACP-EU) Joint Parliamentary Assembly and chairman of the planning committee, ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly in 2,000. He was awarded officer in the Order of Leopold (the highest honour bestowed on a foreigner) by His Majesty, King Albert II of Belgium, in 2004 and Doctor of Laws (LLD) degree by the City University of Los Angeles USA, in 2004.
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