Senate begins screening of ministerial nominees

The Senate has suspended all the items in Wednesday’s Order Paper to begin the screening of Ministerial Nominees forwarded to it for confirmation by President Bola Tinubu.

The process to begin the screening came up at 12. 55 following a motion by the Senate leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, APC, Ekiti Central and seconded by the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro, PDP, Benue South.

The Senate resolved to the Committee of the Whole at 1.04, just as the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio has started calling the names, starting with Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda.

Akpabio has asked Yilwarda to come up the acknowledged copy of his Assets declaration.

The nominee started addressing the Senators at 1.08pm

Recall that President Tinubu had written the Senate, seeking for the screening and subsequent confirmation of appointments of seven ministerial nominees announced in Abuja on Wednesday.

President Tinubu’s request was contained in a letter addressed to the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio and read last week Thursday during plenary.

According to the letter, the Ministerial nominees were Dr Nentawe Yilwatda , Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi , Minister of Labour and Employment and Bianca Odinaka Odumegu – Ojukwu, Minister of State, Foreign Affairs .

Others were Dr Jumoke Oduwole, Minister of Industry , Trade and Development , Idi Muktar Maiha , Minister of Livestock Development, Rt Hon Yusuf Abdullahi Ata, Minister of State, Housing and Dr Suwaiba Said Ahmad , Minister of State, Education.

President Tinubu in the letter had sought for expeditious consideration of his request by the Senate.

Accordingly as announced by Akpabio, the Senate immediately referred the Presidential request to the Committee of the Whole for consideration.

He said, ” Distinguished colleagues, the presidential request is referred to the committee of the whole for consideration very soon.”

Details later…