After weeks of high-wired politics and a long waiting game, former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, arrived at the Senate and was screened as a ministerial nominee.
The former governor was top on the list of the order paper released by the Senate.
Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio had earlier said that the PDP caucus in the Senate had no questions for Amaechi as the caucus had just received reports of the petition written against the former Rivers State Governor and had not had time to study the reports in question.
The Majority Leader, in a swift reaction to that then moved a motion that since the PDP senators had no question for Amaechi, he should be allowed to ‘bow and go’ on the basis of being a former House Speaker and former Governor.
A brief argument ensued between the two caucuses before the matter was resolved and the screening commenced.
WATCH MR ROTIMI AMAECHI’S SCREENING
Mr Amaechi spent about 50 minutes answering questions bordering on various issues, including his alleged indictment by a panel set up by the Rivers State Government for corruption.
He also defended his activities as Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, stating that the governor’s forum checked the excesses of the federal government.
When asked questions regarding his involvement in alleged cases of corruption and misappropriation of public funds, Mr Amaechi insisted he was not indicted by the report of the panel.
He went further to say that he had “never collected a bribe” in his life. This was in response to being asked by Senator Shehu Sani to explain what he considered to be corruption – a word he said was hard to define.
“Corruption is very difficult to define. If you’re a public officer and you don’t take bribe – I have never taken bribe in my life – but if they send a girl to you and you sleep with the girl and do that favour, you’re corrupt,” he said.
Senator Danjuma Goje of Gombe State also asked Mr. Amaechi to explain why he continuously called for an increase in sums allocated to states in the Niger Delta. Senator Goje said that the demand was made despite the 13 percent derivation fund reserved for oil producing states and the sums allocated to the amnesty program.
Former Governor Amaechi, asides providing answers to the numerous questions, also stated his readiness to deliver quality service if confirmed as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He promised that if confirmed minister he would bring his wealth of experience to bear on governance, adding that Nigeria’s dependence on natural resources was unnecessary.
He also said that huge investment in agriculture, technology, mining and education would help in solving the unemployment problem in Nigeria, adding if the issue of massive unemployment rate must be dealt with, then there is need to deal with the change in economic mantra by diversifying the economy.
