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From Fred Itua, Abuja
The confirmation hearing of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s ministerial nominees, on Monday, ran into troubled waters, when the Senate moved to suspend the screening of Festus Keyamo from Delta State.
Trouble started at about 1:45 pm when a principal officer of the Senate from Abia Central and deputy minority leader, Darlington Nwakocha raised a constitutional point of order.
In his long explanation, Nwakocha quoted Section 88, subsection 1&2 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
The section reads: “(1) Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, each House of the National Assembly shall have power by resolution published in its journal or in the Official Gazette of the Government of the Federation to direct or cause to be directed investigation into -(a) any matter or thing with respect to which it has power to make laws, and (b) the conduct of affairs of any person, authority, ministry or government department charged, or intended to be charged, with the duty of or responsibility for – (i) executing or administering laws enacted by National Assembly, and (ii) disbursing or administering moneys appropriated or to be appropriated by the National Assembly.
“(2) The powers conferred on the National Assembly under the provisions of this section are exercisable only for the purpose of enabling it to – (a) make laws with respect to any matter within its legislative competence and correct any defects in existing laws; and (b) expose corruption, inefficiency or waste in the execution or administration of laws within its legislative competence and in the disbursement or administration of funds appropriated by it.”
Nwakocha told senators that the screening and confirmation of Keyamo be suspended until the nominee explains how he disbursed N52 billion approved by the 9th National Assembly for 774,000 beneficiaries of the Special Public Works (SPW) programme.
