Senate Commence Screening Of Ministerial Nominees

The Senate suspended all items in Wednesday’s Order Paper in order to begin screening the ministerial nominees that the President sent.

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 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 expeditious consideration of his request by the Senate.