The Senate yesterday screened the former Governor of
Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi and four others ministerial nominees of President
Muhammadu Buhari.
The former governor who said during his screening
that he had never collected bribe in his life and when asked about corruption, likened it
to sleeping with a girl and later granting her favors.
Other ministerial nominees that were screened are:
Senator Heineken Lokpobiri (Bayelsa), Professor Cladius Omoleye Daramola
(Ondo), Baba Shehuri Mustapha (Borno) and Barrister James Ocholi (SAN), Kogi
State.
With yesterday’s screening, 25 ministerial nominees
have so far been screened out of which 18 have been confirmed. Amaechi’s
screening has been stepped down thrice.
The screening started after they returned from an
hour closed-door session where the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senators were
prevailed upon to shift grounds on Amaechi.
At the end of the closed session, the Chairman,
Ethics, Privileges and Public petitions, Senator Samuel Anyanwu (PDP, Imo East)
moved a motion for the adoption of the report on the petition written against
Amaechi.
It was seconded by Senator David Umaru (APC, Niger
East) and the Senate President, Bukola Saraki ruled that the report be laid.
Trouble started when the minority leader, Senator
Godswill Akpabio referred to Order 43 pointing out that: “The PDP Senators will
not ask the nominee any question because we just received the report from
Senator Anyanwu and we don’t have the knowledge of it.”
However, Senate Leader, Ali Ndume referred to Order
53 (9), saying “the report has been laid and the procedure is that a copy be made
available, noting that as a former speaker, they could as well ask him to take
a bow and go.
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