Ministerial Nominees: Senate screens Keyamo, Mahmud (LIVE UPDATES)

The Senate will today screen the two fresh ministerial nominees of President Bola Tinubu.

Those that will face Senate scrutiny are Festus Keyamo (Delta) and Mariya Mahmud (Kano).

Mr Tinubu forwarded their names to the upper house for confirmation as ministers on Wednesday.

While Mrs Mahmud, a former commissioner in Kano State, replaced Maryam Shetty, initially a nominee from the state, Mr Keyamo, the minister of state for labour and employment in the immediate past Buhari administration, is a fresh nominee.

Last Friday, Mr Tinubu had written to the Senate, withdrawing the nomination of Ms Shetty though he did not give any reason for the action.

The National Chairman of the APC and former Kano governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, however, said in a media interview, on Saturday that he was not consulted before Ms Shetty was nominated and had no hand in her withdrawal. He revealed that Mr Tinubu subsequently asked him to nominate a woman from the state to replace Ms Shetty, hence the choice of Mrs Mahmud.

The new nominee served as commissioner for higher education under Mr Ganduje, who was governor of Kano State from 2015 to 2023.

So far, 46 out of the 48 ministers-designate have been screened.

The senators shelved the commencement of their annual recess last week to screen the ministerial nominees submitted to it in two separate correspondences to the lawmakers.

Mr Tinubu had through his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, on 27 July sent the first list of 28 nominees to the Senate for confirmation. He sent the second list of 19 nominees on 3 August.

The Senate, as usual, will conduct today’s screening, which is expected to begin at 11 a.m. at the Committee of the Whole statutorily presided over by the senate president as chairman. It is also expected that it will take a decision on the confirmation or rejection of any of the nominees.

After the exercise, the upper chamber will revert to plenary during which the senate president will announce the outcome.

Godswill Akpabio, arrives at the Senate chamber for the commencement of today’s proceedings.

Mr Akpabio arrives in company of his deputy, Barau Jibrin, and other principal officers of the Senate.

The senate president is leading the prayer session.

12:20: The prayer session ended and the senate president takes his seat.

12:22:The Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, moves a motion for presentation of a bill titled “Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria Act (Amendment) Bill, 20223.

The senate leader has raised a point of order to continue with the request of President Bola Tinubu for screening and confirmation of the remaining nominees.

Mr Opeyemi raised also raised a motion to suspend its rules and allow the Special Adviser to President Tinubu on legislative matters and other visitors to enter the Senate chamber.

The motion was seconded by the Senate Minority Leader, Simon Mwadkwon, and the senate president subsequently approved suspension of the Senate rules and visitor are allowed to enter the Senate chamber.

The senate leader has raised a point of order to allow the Senate dissolved into the Committee of Whole to continue the screening of the nominees.

The motion was seconded by the Minority Leader, Simon Mwadkwon, and the senate president subsequently disslved tnto the Senate into the Committee of the Whole.

12:32 p.m.: The nominee from Kano State, Dr Mariya Mahmoud Bunkuture, is addressing the Senate.

The Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, is whispering in the ear of the senate president.

The Kano nominee said she graduated from Bayero University, Kano in 2005 and was deployed to Plateau State for National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

Barau Jibrin, the deputy senate president (APC, Kano North), commended President Bola Tinubu for nominating the nominee. Mr Jibrin said she is one of Kano’s best. He said the nominee came from a poor family yet she was able to become a doctor from the so-called conservative north.

Mr Jibrin said she is an epitome of her culture and tradition. He said he wants his children to emulate the characters of Dr Bunkuture.

The deputy senate president appealed to the Senate to allow the nominee to respond to few questions and take a bow.

Suleiman Kawu , the senator representing Kano South where the nominee hails from, said the people of Kano State was excited when they heard the news of her nomination.

Senator Kawu appreciated President Tinubu for nominating Dr Mahmud Bunkuture.

Mr Kawu said the nominee is a grassroot person and had played important roles in the grassroot politics.

The senator appealed to the Senate to allow Dr Mariya Mahmoud Bunkuture take a bow and leave.

Senator Osita Izunaso (APC, Imo West) commend President Bola Tinubu for appointing the nominees. He asked the nominee what advice she would give the federal government in preparation to fight pandemic in future.

Tony Nwoye, the Senator representing Anambra North, appreciated President Bola Tinubu for appointing the nominee. Mr Nwoye said the appointment of the nominee showed that labour pays.

Senator Nwoye asked how the nominee planned to help immunization in the northern part of the country.

Senator Dave Umahi (Ebonyi South) also commended the nominee for her achievements. Mr Umahi appreciated President Bola Tinubu for appointing Dr Mariya Mahmud.

Senator Rufai Hanga (NNPP, Kano Central) said he supports the nominee.

Mr Umahi asked the nominee about medical personnel that work in public and private hospitals, noting that his father died as a result of the practice. He asked what the nominee would do to address the problem.

Mohammed Monguno (APC, Borno) asked a question on the qualifications of foreign-trained medical doctors. He asked the nominee why there is a high rate of failure when taking the MDCN examination.

Darlington Nwokocha, the senator representing Abia Central, asked the Kano nominee whether the nominee will advocate for history as a compulsory subject in primary and secondary schools.

The senate president asked the nominee of her opinion on training and retraining of doctors and teachers.