Senate: Drama of Ministerial Screening

He also said to tackle the problem of poverty, the problem of corruption must also be tackled: “The second issue to tackle, which I believe our government is taking head long is corruption. The amount of leakages in the system in our country is unacceptable and we need to do something fundamental about it. Leadership by example would have to be where to start. We need to reduce significantly the recurrent expenditure in our country. We also need to ensure that crime is linked to sanctions so that impunity will not continue to drive the country deeper and deeper into poverty.” The former Governor also said Nigeria must diversify its economy, create new job opportunities and devolve more powers from the centre to the state and local government level to be able to tackle poverty. “Poverty is not inevitable, we have a lot of countries like China that has lifted its people from poverty. Poverty is the problem between the mindlessly rich and hopelessly,” Fayemi said. On foreign policy, Fayemi told the Senators that Nigeria’s domestic agenda does not really drive our Foreign Policy currently and that the situation must change. He however noted that President Buhari is doing a lot on foreign policy with recognition that Nigeria’s neighbours are her first call of interest. On education, Fayemi said Nigeria needs to make public schools attractive, increase enrolment, curriculum, teacher quality as well as technical and vocational learning to improve the sector. He also answered questions on the controversies surrounding his tenure as governor of Ekiti State.

The third nominee to be screened was former National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Audu Ogbeh. The nominee who introduced himself as a farmer said he was asked to come and serve because the President asked him. “Since I left office in the Second Republic as minister, I have been in school, not in any classroom but in the school of life, travelling around the world and exploring agriculture, why we are failing where others are succeeding,” said Audu who was asked various questions on agriculture. He lamented the current state of its economy while affirming that with the nation’s projected population for the next 35 years; the country’s future is bleak if it does not take steps to develop its economy. Ogbeh who was a minister in Nigeria second republic said Nigeria should invest more on the agricultural sector in order to provide jobs for the rising population, as well as boost investment opportunities.

He also lamented that with the current rate of interest in the country, there is little productive activity that can be done: “Nigeria’s interest rates is the highest in the world. How can you do business and make money. Except you are into cocaine or some very harmful drugs, you can’t make profit with Nigeria’s high interest rate.” He said also that most of Nigerian universities have become intellectual ghettos while responding to a question on political parties’ management in Nigeria. He however refused to answer a question on whether he was forced at gun point to resign as PDP chairman, during President Olusegun Obasanjo’s government.

Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, former governor of Abia State was screened after Ogbeh. The former governor who said there are many abnormalities in Nigeria was asked to speak on the problem of high rate of unemployment in Nigeria before he will “bow and go.” Onu who had in a brief speech he delivered at the commencement of his screening that Nigeria is a rich nation said the country must change from being a consuming to a producing nation if it wants to tackle the problem of unemployment. “We need to produce more in the areas of agriculture, solid minerals and services…,” he said. He said Nigeria must diversify its source of power, arguing that Nigeria’s coal which he described as one of the best in the world because of its low sulphur content, and so it should be harnessed to generate enough power that will lead to industrialization of the country. He noted that Tanzania had shut its hydro power stations due to paucity of rainfall. “Power is central to many of the things we are going to do in this our great country,” he said.

He was followed by Dr. Osagie Ehanire, an from Edo State nominee who described himself as long time associate of President Buhari, having been working to ensure his election as President since 2003. As a medical doctor, the questions the Senators asked the nominee to respond to were basically about the health sector. Ehanire told the Senators that the problems of strike in the Nigeria health sector can end if government will keep to agreements. He added that some Nigerians are going abroad for treatment because they lack confidence in the local health sector. The nominee who said the fight against corruption must be taken to the health sector advocated improved training, better curriculums and increased consultations among medical doctors as a way of tackling wrong diagnoses by medical personnel. He added that the increasing rate of maternal and infant mortality in the country was due to inadequate medical personnel, health facility and cost of accessing facilities. On wrong medical diagnosis which has led to death of many Nigerians, the ministerial nominee called for better curriculum in schools as well medical personnel consulting each other in serious cases. While emphasizing for improvement in management of hospitals, Dr Enahire advocated for control of practice traditional medicine in the country.

General Abdulrahman Dambazau, a former Chief of Army Staff was another nominee who was grilled by the Senate. As an Army General, the Senators asked Dambazau questions that ranged on security, the ongoing war against Boko Haram, Nigeria’s defence policy as well as welfare of Nigerian troops. The former Chief of Army Staff disputed claims that Nigeria did not have a defence policy. On procurement of arms for the armed forces, Dambazau, explained that as Chief of Army Staff the maximum he could approve and spend was N20m which was later increased to N50m.”Anything above this there is a tenders’ board that would meet to approve the money.”
On welfare of troops engaged in the battle against Boko Haram, Dambazzau agreed that the reported N1,000 allowance for soldiers fighting Boko Haram was very poor. He listed some of the benefits enjoyed by soldiers to include ‘death gratuity’ paid to family of soldiers who die before reaching the 10-years gratuity period in the military and so on.

According to him, the government should consider public private partnership for operation of Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria while the private sector should be involved in arms manufacturing while DICON acts as watchdog. “I was passionate about the welfare of the military, a reason I came up with the idea of establishing new barracks like the Abacha Barracks,” said the former COAS. The former Chief of Army Staff also said Nigeria needed to take advantage of the UN re-imbursement system, which will ensure discipline in terms of maintenance and also capacity building in terms of equipment like countries like India and Pakistan are doing. Amina Mohammed was also screened by the Senate.

The former Senior Special Assistant to the President on Millennium Development Goals, Amina Mohammed who was screened as nominee from Gombe State told the Senators that the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, have succeeded the MDGs. She defined the SDGs, as a set of seventeen goals comprising 169 targets and indicators for reducing poverty and improving environmental sustainability. She also spoke about the operation of Conditional Transfer Scheme Mohammed after which she was asked to bow.

Another nominee screened was Suleiman Adamu, nominated to represent Jigawa in the cabinet. He told the Senators that if the manifesto of APC in terms of creation of jobs is to be achieved, there must be improvement in training and skill acquisition so that people should become “employable,” he said. He also talked about investment in infrastructure. “Adequate and potable water supply, I have noticed neither the federal government nor the state government is investing in water infrastructure. Water quality should be enhanced by establishing treatment plants as frequent drilling borehole is to the detriment of ground water available.”

The Senate will continue the exercise next Tuesday with the screening of former Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, and Adebayo Shittu, the nominee from Oyo State who are the two candidates left from the first list sent by the President to the lawmakers. The Senate will also screen the 16 nominees in the fresh list read out by Senator Bukola Saraki last Wednesday. Already, there are fears that if next week’s exercise is not well handled, the Senate may descend into rowdiness over the former Rivers State Governor.

The former Governor was among the first batch of ministerial nominees submitted to the Senate by President Muhammadu Buhari which was scheduled to have taken place last Thursday, but was postponed till next Tuesday. Amaechi could not be screened last Wednesday because the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions which was saddled with the task of investigation of allegations fraudulent dealings contained against the former Governor contained in a petition submitted by the three Peoples Democratic Party senators on behalf of a group said it is yet to conclude its work.

Though the Committee itself had said it could not stop the former Governor because he has challenged issues contained in the petition in court, it was gathered that some PDP members of the Committee are insisting on not giving Amaechi a clean bill of health. Indeed, it was learnt that the deferment of screening of nominees to next Tuesday was because the Committee was unable to produce its report.

But Dino Melaye, Chairman of the Senate ad hoc committee on media said the report of the Ethics Committee was ready and will be presented next Tuesday. According to him, the essence of the report is to clear the former governor for screening and it has been resolved that it should come on the same day. But he added that in considering the report, Senate will comply with its rules and regulations that any matter that is in court or that is undergoing judicial remedy cannot be presented or even looked into. “And that is our resolution, because the matter is still undergoing judicial remedy, we cannot look into it. Rotimi Ameachi has no problem,” said Melaye.

The Senate spokesperson also said the Senate postponed the screening of nominees in the second list submitted by the President because some of the nominees were yet to submit their resumè and other necessary documents required. “He will be screened and confirmed because he possesses the qualification of a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. As you are aware, Amaechi has not been convicted of any crime,” Senate Leader, Ali Ndume said on Friday.