Ministerial nominees’ screening: Senate Okays Fayemi, Danbazzau, Lai Mohammed, Onu, 6 others; Fashola, Kachikwu take turn, Wednesday

The Senate, Tuesday, cleared 10 ministerial nominees out of the 21 in the first batch of nominees forwarded to it by President Muhammadu Buhari, on September 30, and which it had unveiled, last Tuesday.

Those cleared, Tuesday include; Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, former governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, the ex-National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Audu Ogbeh, the former National Chairman of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu and a medical doctor, Dr. Osagie Ehanire.

Others are: National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Lai Mohammed, a former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen.Abdulrahman Danbazzau (rtd), former Special Assistant to the United Nations Secretary General on Post 2015 Development Planning, Amina Ibrahim Mohammed, Suleiman Adamu and Ibrahim Jubril Adamu from Jigawa State.

This second list completes the constitutional representation of all the 36 states of the federation in the federal cabinet.

Former Lagos State governor, Raji Fashola, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Group Managing Director, Mr Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu top the roll call of Wednesday’s screening session t the senate.

Earlier in the day, a total of 15 more names were read out on the floor of the Senate by Senate President, Bukola Saraki being the list of persons contained in the envelop delivered to the Senate President, Monday, by Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari and Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly, Senator Ita Enang.

The first batch of 21 ministerial nominees was earlier sent to the Senate September 30, even as the senate is yet to commence formal screening of the nominees, an exercise which is expected to begin Tuesday, with about two petitions already submitted to Saraki against some of the ministers.

It would be recalled that Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremmadu (PDP) had raised objections regarding the batch-by-batch submission of the ministerial list, saying it was unconstitutional, as President Muhammadu Buhari is required by law to submit a full list of his ministerial nominees for screening.

The senate itself, had on receiving the list last Tuesday, declared that it would no longer be business as usual for the nominees who previously were only required to show up and take and bow.

The senate president had promised a thorough scrutiny of the nominees on the ministerial list.

Those included in the final list of ministerial nominees, which brings the total now to 36, are: Barrister J K Ocholi, Muhammadu Bello, Jeoffrey Onyenma, Mustapha, Claudius Omoleye Daramola, Nelson Okoli, Mrs Aisha Abubakar, Abba Ibrahim, Professor Anthony Anwuka, Stephanie Onyema, General F F Adejayi (rtd.), Adamu Adamu, Professor Isaac Adewole, Okechukwu Enelamah and Abubakar Buhari Lawal.

Notably, one of the nominees in the second list of prospective ministers is Okechukwu Enyinna Enelamah, who is head of African Capital Alliance (ACA), a former Goldman Sachs banker, and founder and chief executive of ACA, that has raised over $750 million in managed funds since its inception in 1997.