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• As Tinubu withdraws nominee, names Keyamo
From Fred Itua and Kenneth Udeh, Abuja
President Bola Ahmed, on Friday withdrew the nomination of Maryam Shetty as ministerial nominee, replacing her with Dr. Mariya Mahmoud Bunkure also from Kano.
The President, however increased the number of his ministerial nominees from 47 to 48. He included the name of his campaign spokesperson, Festus Keyamo. In the end, the Senate screened 14 nominees. The upper legislative chamber is expected to screen the other seven nominees on Saturday and possibly confirm them as minister-designates.
The Senate began with the screening of the immediate-past governor of Osun State, Adegboyega Oyetola who was asked to take a bow and go after he briefly introduced himself.
During the screening, he revealed to the senators how he turned around the Osun economy at the time when N2.5 billion was being deducted at source from the Federal Allocation accruable to the state to settle the state’s indebtedness. He said that despite the huge monthly deductions, the government under his leadership never owed workers’ salaries and pensions; and that he also provided other basic amenities like 332 Primary Health Centres, one per ward; and built roads and other infrastructure.
“I am the immediate past Governor of Osun State, where we served for four impactful years. We came in at a time when the state was almost insolvent. But God helped us to pull through and we were able to stabilise the economy of the state,” he said.
Former governor of Yobe State, Ibrahim Geidam who currently serves as senator representing Yobe East was next on the line up. He too was asked to take a bow and go. Earlier, the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele explained that the Senate merely exercised its power and privileges each time it extended the privilege of “bow and go to serving and former National Assembly members.
The ministerial nominee from Lagos, Dr. Tunji Alausa said massive infrastructure development in the health sector could stop doctors and health workers from fleeing the country for greener pastures abroad.
