Senate Gives Conditions For Screening Ministerial Nominees

The Senate on Thursday reached a consensus that at least two senators from the state of a ministerial nominee must endorse each person nominated by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Senate laid out some strict rules, which would guide the screening exercise of ministerial nominees, Chairman of the ad hoc committee on Media and Publicity, Dino Melaye  explained that the upper legislative chamber has reached the resolution, adding that the Senate will also adopt other constitutional provisions and conventions for screening nominees.

Senator Melaye said that the Senate would also apply Section 147 of the Nigerian constitution, which states that a nominee must also be an indigene of one of the 36 states of the federation, before that person can be screened.

One of such rules, which dwells on the practice and convention of the senate, will require each of the nominees to have minimum support of two out of the three senators from their states..

Senator Dino Melaye said the modalities revolve around two major areas, which are relevant constitutional provisions as well as practice and convention of the Senate.

“Every nominee must provide prove of compliance as required by the constitution and the standard rules of the Senate.

“You must declare your assets and must have a certificate of proof by the Code of Conduct Bureau.
Sen. Melaye also stated that in Section 1473 of the Constitution that the Constitution did not speak on adoption of a state by marriage but that “the President shall appoint at least one Minister from each state who shall be an indigene of such state”.

He also added that a minimum of two Senators must support a candidates but there are other conditions involved.
Senator Melaye also said the validity of petitions received by the senate against some of the ministerial nominees would definitely decide the fate of those affected.

Earlier at plenary, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki received a petition from Southern Kaduna coalition against a ministerial nominee Amina Mohammed who is ministerial nominee.

The group in a petition filed against her complained that she is not an indigene of the state, they urged President Buhari in a seven page petition to nominate a minister from her state Gombe and not Kaduna her state of marriage.

The Senate President directed the chairman, Senate Committee on Ethics and Public Petitions, Senator Sam Anyanwu to forward reports of the committee’s findings on all petitions against ministerial nominees to the Senate before Tuesday next week.

President Muhammadu Buhari had on Thursday asked ministerial nominees to report to the Inspector General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase, for profiling, ahead of the screening on Tuesday, October 13 by the Senate.

Those who have already filled the forms include Audu Ogbeh (Benue), Chris Ngige (Anambra), Udoma Udo Udoma (Akwa Ibom) and Abubakar Malami (Kebbi) and Babatunde Fashola (Lagos).

A source explained that the reason for the exercise is for the police to carry out further investigations on the ministerial nominees.