[UPDATE] Ministerial Nominees: Senators disagree on mode of screening

Ahead of tomorrow’s commencement of the screening of the 28 ministerial nominees, senators have disagreed sharply on the screening processes.

While the Senate Majority Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele and Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Yemi Adaramodu, are saying that the screening of the nominees would be thorough as there would be “no take a bow and go” as was obtainable in the past, the former Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe, disagreed, saying that nothing new would happen.

Speaking with Sunday Vanguard, Abaribe said: “The screening of the ministerial nominees will not be different. Nothing has changed to give any signal of a change in methodology.”

Another Senator who spoke on the condition of anonymity, agreed with Abaribe, saying that with the composition in the first place where former governors, former senators and ex-members of the House of Representatives are dominating the list, it would be more of a ‘take a bow and go’ show.

Recall that the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio had on Thursday read out the 28 ministerial nominees sent by President Bola Tinubu for screening.

Following the unveiling of the nominees, Adaramodu, while addressing Journalists on Thursday boasted that the senators would be thorough during the screening as they would dwell on experience, character, personality, and background, among others, just as there will be no take a bow and go except when there are no questions.

On the usual take a bow which has become a norm for former senators, the Senate Spokesperson said: “It is a norm and not an anathema. Even if you came to National Assembly to submit a paper, you must take a bow. So the issue of taking a bow is not an anathema, it is a tradition and not a slang for complacency. It does not mean you cannot be held accountable. It is just a norm.”

Corroborating Adaramodu, Bamidele reiterated that the Senate would be thorough with the screening to ascertain their competencies and capabilities to serve Nigeria.

“Let me assure Nigerians that there won’t be any bow and go during the screening except for those who had been members of the National Assembly and whom we knew have the wherewithal to give Nigerians qualitative leadership.”