Senate screening: Jonathan withdraws ministerial nominee

Posted by admin Legislature, Ministries, Senate Tuesday, July 5th, 2011

President Goodluck Jonathan has forwarded the nomination of former Minister of Finance Mrs Ngozi Okonjo-iweala as a ministerial nominee to the Senate.Senate President David Mark read out the correspondence to his colleagues yesterday.

In a dramatic move, President Jonathan withdrew the nomination of Architect Tonye Cole from Rivers as a ministerial nominee. No replacement was announced at plenary. Cole was said to have been nominated by his state Governor Rotimi Amechi to replace former minister of foreign affairs Mr. Odein Ajumogobia but sources said President Jonathan preferred to retain Ajumogobia.

After the closed-door meeting with the security chiefs ended at exactly 1.45 p.m. and the gallery was opened, Sen. Ndoma-Egba moved a motion, asking for extension of time to continue the screening of ministerial nomineess. But before the motion could be seconded by Minority Leader George Akume, many senators were already shouting ‘no’ to the request.

Nevertheless, the Senate President brushed aside the opposition, put the question that the senate extend sitting beyond 2pm and the ‘nays’ overwhelmed the ‘ayes.’ Mark pleaded with his colleagues and again put it to question. He got the same answer: ‘Nay.’ Asked about the fate of Dr. Obadiah Ando after the three senators from Taraba State rejected his nomination on Monday, Ndoma-Egba replied: “Ando has to resolve issues he has with his senators”.

On the suspension of screening of ministerial nominees, the Senate Leader said the chamber wanted clarification on the true number of ministerial nominees before them following the withdrawal and nomination of Okonjo-Iweala. The ministerial screening and confirmation is expected to resume today.

As the Senate resumes the screening of nominees for ministerial appointment, members of the House of Representative from Lagos and Taraba States yesterday protested against ministerial nominees from their respective states.President Goodluck Jonathan had nominated his former Finance Minister, Dr. Olusegun Aganga as representatives of Lagos state and Dr Obadiah Ando as nominee from Taraba state, they were yet to face the Senate for screening. Rising against the nomination of Aganga, former Minority Leader in the House, Femi Gbajabiamila raised point of Constitution order, saying that the slot of Lagos state will be lost.

He alleged that the nominee of the president from Lagos hailed from another state.
According to him, the nomination of Aganga who he said is an indigene of Edo State breached the provisions of section 147(3) of the Constitution which insisted on such to be an indigene of the concerned state, noting that it would amount to short-changing the people of Lagos State since.

He therefore urged President Goodluck Jonathan to stick to the provisions of the 1999 Constitution as amended on the appointment of Ministers, especially on the slot for Lagos State which has been a subject of controversy.
Gbajabiamila noted the action of the president may be an oversight, and urging the House to cause President Jonathan to urgently reverse the nomination in accordance with the law, and noted further that section 147(3) explicitly insisted on indigene ship on the appointment of ministers.

Also, the Caucus of Taraba State in the House joined their counterparts in the Senate in protesting against the nomination of Dr. Ando for ministerial appointment.
Similarly, members of the Concerned Citizens of Taraba State have alleged that Dr Ando was imposed on the party by former Chief of Army Staff, General Theophilus Danjuma.

Leader of the group, Peter T. Mamman disclosed that it is the turn of Wukari Local government as against Takum, where Dr Ando hails from to produce a minister from the state.
The group therefore urged the Red Chamber not to clear the former Water Resources Minister as doing so would undermine fairness .

-Sunwp_posts