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•Nominee who finished secondary at age 9 faces backlash, 14 screened
From Fred Itua, Abuja
Less than one week after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu forwarded names of 28 ministerial nominees to the Senate, the upper legislative chamber, yesterday, commenced confirmation hearing.
The screening exercise which commenced at 1:30 pm, had Abubakar Momoh from Edo State, as first nominee to take the stage.
Nyesom Wike from Rivers State was the second nominee to take the stage. He came in at 1:50 pm. Wike spoke for seven minutes, where he dwelt extensively on projects he executed as governor.
Throwing the first salvo, Senate President, Akpabio, said many politicians turn against the people when they get political power.
Though Wike is not a former member of the National Assembly and does not enjoy the privilege of “take a bow and go”, Akpabio said if the Deputy senate President was not ready to question Wike, he was free to leave. The statement caused a mild uproar. Lawmakers from Rivers State endorsed Wike’s nomination and urged their colleagues to allow him take a bow and go.
Efforts by PDP senators to raise issues were rebuffed by Akpabio who told Wike to take a bow and leave the stage.
Professor Joseph Terlumun Utsev from Benue State took the stage after Wike. Unlike the previous two nominees, he was questioned by lawmakers.
The nominee ran into trouble when the records in his resumè did not add up. According to the details he provided, he was born in 1980, but left secondary school in 1989.
Lawmakers from Benue State, in their defence, claimed that the mix up were minor errors that should be ignored.
Acting Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Abubakar Kyari, the fourth nominee to be screened, spent less than two minutes. He did not introduce himself, neither did he give details about his sojourn in politics. As a former senator, he took a bow and left the chamber. Kyari is from Borno State.
The fifth nominee to take the stage, John Enoh, former member of the House of Representatives and former senator, took a bow and left without being questioned.
Bello Mohammed from Sokoto State, however, ran into trouble soon after he took the stage. He declined to disclose his academic qualifications, despite series of push from lawmakers. He was, however, allowed to go. Akpabio asked him to furnish the secretariat with the necessary information.
Immediate-past governor of Jigawa State, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, not a former member of the National Assembly, like Wike, was asked to take a bow and go. He spent less than five minutes on the floor of the Senate.
Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, former member of the House of Representatives Bauchi State, was also asked to take a bow.
A former senator from Taraba State, Abubakar Sani Danladi, was the 9th nominee to be screened. Though protesters besieged the National Assembly and urged the Senate to disqualify him, he was screened. However, Akpabio raised concerns about a court judgment, barring him from contesting for any political office. He said the purported judgment on perjury was overruled. Akpabio said the issues will be investigated before his confirmation.
Uju-Ken Ohaneye from Anambra State, was the 10th nominee to be screened. She was asked a series of questions on personal finances, educational background and politics. She responded, after which she was asked to take a bow and go.
Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo hails from Ondo State. He was queried about the discrepancies between his date of birth and when he rounded off his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) exercise. He said he graduated from the United Kingdom in 2005 at the age of 23 and had his NYSC in 2020.
Nkiru Onyejiocha was the 12th nominee to be screened. She is from Abia State and former principal officer in the House of Representatives. She was not asked any questions. She took a bow and left the chamber.
Beta Edu from Cross River State and APC Woman Leader, spent over 45 minutes during the confirmation hearing. She was grilled by lawmakers on health-related issues.
Imaan Sulaiman Ibrahim from Nasarawa State was also screened. After a series of questions, she left the chamber around 5:55 pm.
In all, the Senate screened 14 nominees before adjourning for the day. It is expected to resume the confirmation hearing by 11 am.
