By Ayo Yusuf
The Senate is to screen the remaining 14 ministerial nominees today which completes the list of 28 names sent to the Upper House by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, had last week Thursday unveiled the 28 ministerial nominees and 14 of those have been screened already.
The remaining 14 nominees currently appearing before the Senate for screening include former Ebonyi governor and lawmaker representing Ebonyi South, David Umahi (Ebonyi); Former Kaduna governor, Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna); the Special Adviser to the President, Special Duties, Communications, and Strategy, Dele Alake (Ekiti); and former Minister of Health, Ali Pate.
Others are Adebayo Olawale Edun (Ogun);Ahmed Musa Dangiwa (Katsina); Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji (Enugu);Stella Okotete (Delta);Adebayo Adelabu (Oyo);
Muhammad Idris (Niger); Doris Anite Uzoka (Imo); Lateef Fagbemi SAN (Kwara); Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo (Akwa Ibom); and Barr HannatuMusawa (Katsina).
The list completes the 28 ministerial nominees sent by the president whose screening commenced on Monday in the senate presided over by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
The 14 nominees screened before today were Abubakar Kyari (Borno), Abubakar Momoh (Edo), former governor Nyesom Wike (Rivers), John Enoh (Cross River), former governor Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa), Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar (Bauchi) and Hon. Nkiruka Onyejeocha (Abia).
Others were Bello Muhammad (Sokoto), Prof Joseph Utsev (Benue), Senator Abubakar Danladi (Taraba), Barr. Uju-Ken Ohaneye (Anambra), Hon. Olubunmi Tunji Ojo (Ondo), Betta Edu (Cross River) and Imaan Sulaiman Ibrahim (Nasarawa)
In a strange turn of events, seven out of the 14 ministerial nominees that were screened had an easy time as they were just told to take a ‘bow and leave” while the remaining seven had a hard time of it.
Three out of the seven grilled during the session were confronted with issues bordering on alleged age falsification, forgery and perjury.
The three affected nominees were Senator Abubakar Danladi from Taraba State, Bello Muhammad from Sokoto State and Prof. Joseph Utsev from Benue State.
Specifically, senator Danladi was taken to task over an alleged court judgment banning him from holding public office for 10 years.
Though he spiritedly denied the allegation, the Senate President ruled that the issue would be looked into at the stage of confirmation.
On his part, Bello Muhammad from Sokoto State was taken up on his secondary school certificate.
The nominee, as observed by Senator Jimoh Ibrahim( APC Ondo South), submitted a secondary school certificate that does not tally with the grades contained in his resume.
Mr. Muhammed, in his defence, told the Senate that the certificate that has the grades stated in his resume was not attached but it would be provided later.
The Senate President, in his remarks, said, “Mr Nominee, you will have to make available the certificate that has the grades stated in your resume. Forward it to the secretariat as it would be needed at the confirmation stage.”
For the Benue nominee, Prof. Utsev, his resume stating that he started primary school at the age of three and finished at the age of nine, was questioned.
The nominee, in his certificate, stated that he was born in 1980 and finished primary school in 1989.
The error was spotted by Lagos lawmaker, Senator Tokunbo Abiru, who stated that something must have been missing.
The Senate President reiterated that all issues of infractions on certificates submitted by the affected nominees would be thoroughly looked into at the stage of confirmation.
After answering questions about what he would do if made the Minister of Water Resources in the area of dams, Mr. Utsev was asked to take a bow and go.
Though the Ondo nominee, Hon Olubunmi Tunji -Ojo, was taken up by Senator Sadiq Umar ( APC Kwara North), on why he did his national youth service at the age of 38, his clarification was accepted by the Senate.
The nominee, who was born in 1982 and served when he was 38, explained that he finished university in the United Kingdom in 2005 under the age of 30, making him do the compulsory National Youth Service in 2020 after returning to Nigeria.
Ms. Ohaneye was also questioned about tax returns but she clarified that she was into philanthropy work which had excused her from tax payment.
The Senate President told them all to bow and go while a decision would be taken on them at the confirmation stage amongst the lawmakers.
