The Senate will today continue the screening of the ministerial nominees transmitted to it by President Bola Tinubu.
The upper legislative chamber commenced the exercise on Monday during which it scrutinised 14 out of the 28 nominees using their resumes which they had earlier submitted.
Those screened were Abubakar Momoh (Edo), Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Joseph Utsev (Benue), Abubakar Kyari (Borno), John Enoh (Cross River) and Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa).
Also screened were Yusuf Tuggar (Bauchi), Sani Danladi (Taraba), Uju Kennedy-Ohaneye (Anambra), Olubunmi Tunji Ojo (Ondo), Nkeiruka Onyejeocha (Abia), Betta Edu (Cross River) and Iman Suleiman Ibrahim (Nasarawa).
Nominees expected to be screened today are Uche Nnaji (Enugu), Doris Uzoka (Imo), David Umahi (Ebonyi), Ali Pate (Bauchi), Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna), Ahmed Dangiwa (Katsina), Hannatu Musawa (Katsina), Lateef Fagbemi (Kwara), Muhammad Idris (Niger).
The others are Ekperikpe Ekpo (Akwa Ibom), Stella Okotete (Delta), Dele Alake (Ekiti), Wale Edun (Ogun) and Waheed Adelabu (Oyo).
Mr Tinubu has not nominated ministers from 11 states namely Adamawa, Bayelsa, Gombe, Kano, Kebbi, Kogi, Lagos, Plateau, Osun, Yobe and Zamfara.
The Senate will screen and confirm the nominees at the Committee of the Whole statutorily presided over by the senate president as chairman.
After the exercise, the upper chamber will revert to plenary during which the senate president will announce the outcome.
At 11:26 a.m. The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, arrived at the Senate Chamber to commence the screening.
At 11:31pm , the senate president is leading the opening prayer.
The Senate President is leading the adoption of voting and proceedings of Monday’s session.
At 11:35 a.m, the Senate adopted the voting and proceedings of Monday’s session.
14 nominees have been listed on the Order Paper for the screening today.
They are David Umahi (Ebonyi), Olawale Edun (Ogun State), Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna), Ahmed Dangiwa (Katsina State), Uche Nnaji (Enugu State), Stella Oketete (Delta), Dele Alake (Ekiti State), Adebayo Adelabu (Oyo).
Muhammed Idris (Niger), Professor Ali Pate (Bauchi), Doris Uzoka (Imo), Lateef Fagbemi SAN (Kwara), Ekperikpe Ekpo (Akwa Ibom State) and Hanatu Musawa (Katsina).
At 11:50 a.m. the Senate is presenting billsAL, at 12:50 p.m, the Senate Majority Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele raised orders Section 12 (1) and 1(a) of the Senate standing rule to allow visitors and strangers into the Senate chamber.
The point of order was seconded by the Minority leader, Simon Mwadkwon.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio referred the point of order to other senators and majority of the senators supported that the strangers should be allowed into the chamber.
The senate president thereafter granted the nominees permission to enter into the Senate chamber incompany of sergeant at arms
At 12:48 pm, the senate leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, is reading out names of the nominees that will be screened today.
Dave Umahi, the nominee from Ebonyi State, has entered the Senate chamber
At 12:58 p.m., David Umahi, the nominee from Ebonyi State started addressing the Senate..
The nominee served as Ebonyi State governor for eight years from 2015 to 2023. He contested the APC presidential primaries against Mr Tinubu but withdrew.
The Senate President reads the rule of the Senate which says if a ministerial nominee is a sitting member, he will take a bow and thereafter resume his seat in the chamber until he is sworn in as minister.
Mr Akpabio asks Mr Umahi to address the Senate. The nominee started by praising the senate president. He said, In the number of months I have spent, you (Senate President Godswill Akpabio) have not allowed partisan division. It means you are divine.
He said he was Ebonyi State PDP acting chairman from 2007-2008. In 2008, he was elected as substantive Chairman until 2011.
In 2011, he became the deputy governor of Ebonyi State.
Mr Umahi requested to read his CV but he was disallowed to do so.
Mr Akpabio said the nominee will keep his seat as the deputy leader of the senate until he is sworn in as minister.
At 1:05 pm, the senate president asked Mr Umahi to take a bow and go.
Olawale Edun, the nominee from Ogun State has just entered the Senate chamber
Mr Akpabio told the Ogun State nominee to introduce himself. He is curently doing so.
Mr Edun, a former commissioner of finance in Lagos State under the then Governor Bola Tinubu and currently special adviser to the president on Monetary Policy.
Mr Edun said he completed his Bachelor’s Degree in Economics at the University of London and earned a Master’s Degree in Economics from the University of Sussex, England. He said he worked as an investment banker at the World Bank. He said he came back to Nigeria to participate in the boom back home as an entrepreneur.
He said Nigeria is faced with challenging times that must be met with innovation. He added he was an amateur boxer and played a role in developing the sport in Lagos and Ogun states. He asked the senators if they were surprised at that revelation that he was a boxer though no answer came.
Aliyu Wadada (SDP, Nasarawa West) asked Mr Edun three questions on what he will do differently to revive the economy.
However, the Ogun West senator, Solomon Olamilekan Adeola said he strongly believes the nominee will contribute in turning around the economy if confirmed as part of the Tinubu administration. He said the three senators support his nomination.
Aliyu Wadada (SDP, Nasarawa West) asked Mr Edun: the previous government and the current government are concerned about managing the FX. Simple economics says prices are determined by market forces. What will you do differently, knowing that the real sector is comatose? What would you do to ensure a balance between monetary and fiscal policy
Danjuma Goje (Gombe Central) asked Mr Edu what he will do to reposition the power sector.
Gbenga Daniel (Ogun East) said he has known Mr Edun for 40 years. After asking a question, he also asked that he be allowed to bow and go.
Shuaibu Afolabi Salisu (Ogun Central), the nominee’s senator, spoke about Mr Edun’s services in Lagos as finance commissioner. He said the nominee is a good product and he is proud of him. He said as commissioner the Lagos economy became thrie largest in Africa even though it was at a time the federal government ceased the state’s money. He said though he joined others to ask that the nominee should be asked to take a bow and go, Mr Edun should be asked questions so that Nigerians would know that the person that would serve them probably as finance minister is reliable and dependable and would perform.
Aliyu Wadada (SDP, Nasarawa West) asked Mr Edun: “The previous government and the current government are concerned about managing the FX. Simple economics says prices are determined by market forces. What will you do differently, knowing that the real sector is comatose? What would you do to ensure a balance between monetary and fiscal policy?
Mr Wadada also asked the nominee on managing the debt profile of the country.
Solomon Olamilekan (APC, Ogun)
Mr Olamilekan said Ogun State is presenting a nominee that has the capacity to help the present government to turn the economy around. He added that the Ogun State caucus is in support of the nominee.
Danjuma Goje (APC, Gombe)
Mr Goje, a former Minister of Power and Steel under President Olusegun Obasanjo, asked Mr Edun what he would do to fix the power project if given the portfolio of Minister of Power.
He commended him for the role he played in the Enron Power Project during his time as Commissioner of Finance in Lagos State. He asked if he would bring back the Enron power project.
Gbenga Daniel (APC, Ogun)
Mr Daniel, a former Governor of Ogun State, asked the nominee about the debt stock of the country, and what would he do about it.
Danjuma Goje (Gombe Central) asked Mr Edu what he will do to reposition the power sector if named the power minister.
He commended him for the role he played in the Enron Power Project during his time as commissioner of finance in Lagos State. He asked if he would bring back the Enron power project.
Gbenga Daniel (APC, Ogun East) said he has known Mr Edun for 40 years. He however asked the nominee what he would do about the debt stock of the country? He also asked that he be allowed to bow and go.
Tokunbo Abiru (APC, Lagos East) said Mr Edun is a grassroot politician and an accomplished banker whose legacies are still being emulated by subsequent Lagos State administrations.
Mr Abiru however asked the nominee to speak on the reforms embarked on by the current administration.
Sani Musa (APC, Niger) asked the nominee for his opinion on Nigeria’s budgetary cycle while the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, asked the nominee how he is going to encourage states to review their fiscal policy to achieve growth.
Mr Akpabio asked the nominee for his opinion on separation of the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation from the Accountant General for the Federal Government.
Mr Edun, in response to the last question asked by the senate president,, said “If given the opportunity, I’ll do my best. I think consistency is very important. In the days when i was in the public service at the sub national level under our president, I did advocate that there should be separation between the account of the Federation and the Accountant General of the Federation. I will like to retain that stands.
He further noted that the difference between the states and the federal government on revenue requires amending the constitution to separate the office.
On the reforms embarked on by the current administration, he stated that the current government has done a lot.
Speaking on his performance in Lagos, he stated that the deployment of technology was done ruthlessly. In addition, there was the leverage of the private sector.
Mr Edun noted that the GDP per capita of Nigeria in 1990 was higher than China but now Nigeria has declined significantly. He noted that the decline could be traced to reckless spending and lack of production.
He said the Nigerian economy has experienced tremendous growth in the past two months. He asked the senators to ask their governors about the fiscal changes.
Speaking on FX and subsidy removal, he said the month ahead will bring pains before the positive impacts are felt. He noted that to mitigate the impact on the poorest, the policy by the government will target the poor.
He stated that states and the private sector have a role to play.
The Senate President said since there are many questions for the nominee on the economy, the Senate may invite Mr Edun for a closed-door session after his confirmation.
The Senate Chief Whip, Ali Ndume, advised that when the nominee from Ogun State is eventually confirmed and assigned a portfolio, he should ensure that the N8,000 palliative measures of the federal government get to the people who need the palliatives and not the private pockets
