The President of National Youth Council on Wednesday said the Presidency henceforth should begin sending the list of ministerial nominees with their portfolios to the House of Representatives.
Mr Ugochukwu Ikenga, who made the statement on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, said that “I love what the Senate did yesterday. Adebayo Shittu was asked a lot of questions and he gave detailed answers to the questions asked”.
Giving his impression about the development of the senate screening so far, Mr Ikenga said that the process is turning ‘ridiculous’ because things that can be dealt with decisively are being prolonged.
” I understand that it is written in the constitution that the screening will take 21 working days and if at the end of the 21 working days, a nominee isn’t screened, he would automatically become a minister which could be part of the reasons why the senate screen 10 people per day”.
He alleged that the screening delay of former governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, is political.
” I think his screening is political because the issue of white paper, indigent issue are issues at a particular time, showed the foundation of Nigerian democracy.
“Unless a person is convicted by a competent court of law, it amounts to nothing.
“My blame will therefore, not be on the Senate but on the Ethics Committee. What is holding the committee from tendering reports on the floor of the House on what they found out from investigations on their petition against Amaechi”, he questioned.
Mr Ikenga, nonetheless, opined that the sustainability of what will happen at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) is dependent on the judgment of the Court of Appeal which is about to be delivered.
He further gave suggestions on what could have happened if the trial had resumed on Wednesday.
“If the Appeal Court had delivered its judgment, it would have helped in settling the issues as the trial resumes today (October 21).
“If the trial resumes today and there is a judgment had been written and kept somewhere, it implies that by time the session at the CCT had ended, the judgment of the Appeal Court would definitely make the exercise invalid if otherwise, but if they had allowed the judgment be delivered, it could have helped the people at the CCT.
“Since there is a pending judgment at the Court of Appeal, what the tribunal is expected to do by the principle of law, is to step down its proceedings because the judgment of the Appeal Court would go a long way in giving foundation for the trial”, he maintained.
Mr Ikenga, however, highlighted some issues facing the tribunal which Nigerians should take cognizance of.
” The Nigerian constitutions talks about the composition of the CCT which constitutes a Chairman and two members, but I am being informed that the tribunal is composed of two members; the Chairman, Danladi Umar and one other member.
“If the tribunal is composed of two people, then in law, it is not properly constituted because it requires three”, he stressed.
