Ngige, Fashola, 16 others scale through
By Ezrel Tabiowo
Abuja
The Senate yesterday deferred the screening of former Rivers state governor and ministerial nominee, Rotimi Amaechi, following the non submission of the report by its Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public petition, on findings from the petitions against him.
But while Amaechi waits to know his fate today, the lawmakers however ratified and confirmed the choices of all the 18 nominees so far screened in the last 48 hours, as minister designates.
Those who scaled the hurdle include; former governors of Lagos state, Babatunde Raji Fashola, Anambra; Chris Nigige, Ekiti; Dr. Kayode Fayemi and that of Abia; but representing Ebonyi, Dr. Ogbonaya Onu.
Others are, Chief Audu Ogbeh (Benue), Udo Udoma ( Akwa Ibom), Dr Osagie Ehanire (Edo), Lt- Gen Abdulrahman Dambazzau (Kano), Hajia Amina Ibrahim Mohammed (Gombe), Engineer Sulaiman Adamu( Jigawa), and Ibrahim Usman Jibrin (Nasarawa).
The rest include; the Group Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Dr Ibe Kachikwu (Delta State), Abubakar Malami (Zamfara), Senator Aisha Jummai Alhassan (Taraba), Kemi Adeosun (Ogun), Barrister Solomon Dalong (Plateau), Senator Abubakar Hadi Sirika (Katsina) and Alhaji Lai Mohammed (Kwara) whose confirmation stirred slight controversy with overwhelming shout of nay by PDP senators against his confirmation.
For Amaechi and Wahab Shittu from Oyo state, they were not that lucky as the Senate stood down their screening till another legislative day(today) for want of time.
But while the screening of Shittu could be said to be guaranteed when plenary resumes, same can’t be said of the former governor whose fate is dependent on the outcome of the report arising from the petition against him by Integrity Group, a Non Governmental Organisation.
Chairman of the investigating committee, Senator Sam Anyanwu (PDP Imo East), had, upon being asked by the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, promised to do so yesterday morning, only to still ask for more time when asked again yesterday on the floor.
Anyanwu at the two instances, explained to the Senate President that all members of the committee would have to meet for ratification of the report before submitting it to the senate.
Our correspondent however gathered that the committee could not submit the report yesterday evening, owing to its inability to form a quorum at the meeting called by its chair for that purpose, making Amaechi’s screening doubtful.
Speaking to newsmen in his office yesterday night, Senator Anyanwu, said he was still waiting for the committee members to come to his office for the meeting.
Meanwhile, moment after commencement of plenary yesterday, the Senate President, shortly before the screening exercise, announced the withdrawal of a nominee, Ahmed Musa Ibeto, former deputy governor of Niger state from the list by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Ibeto’s withdrawal from the list by the President would however not create any vacuum for the state, as the President in his last list of 16 nominees, included Abubakar Bawa Bwari as a replacement.
