Why We Hurriedly Screened Ministerial Nominees – Lawmaker

Buhari's ministerial nominees
Buhari’s ministerial nominees

The lawmaker representing Ekiti Central, Opeyemi Bamidele, says the ongoing ministerial screening at senate seem to be very lenient with prospective ministers.

Bamidele said the screening is lenient, not because there is a compromise of the exercise, but rather for the interest of the country.

According to him, if the Senate spends too much time screening ministers it could amount to a delay in the constitution of the Federal Executive Council members by President Muhammadu Buhari — especially since the nominees have met the constitutional requirements to become ministers.

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“In the first term of President Buhari, it took him about five months to constitute his cabinet, but this time he had shown interest in ensuring that his ministers begin work as quickly as possible and this vision should not be thwarted because it will benefit all Nigerians.

“Don’t forget that the ministerial nomination is a creation of the Constitution. Whoever will be presented must have been scrutinised by security agencies and known to be fit academically, mentally and physically before presented before us by Mr President.

“Don’t also forget that many of these nominees had held several positions as ministers, ambassadors, governors, senators state legislators in the past.

“Won’t it be hypocritical for Senate to have earlier found someone worthy of being nominated for such position in the past and now changing gear due to partisanship that such individual is no longer credible to be a minister?

“Senate Chambers is not where people play politics. We think more of national interest and the cooperation and the seamless relationship between the two major parties on this screening exercise confirmed the credibility of the 9th Senate. It has not in any way vitiated the integrity of the chambers because we think more about our nation and not parties”.

“They should bring financial discipline into their respective ministries because corruption and material acquisition have been identified as that main factors affecting the wellbeing of the citizens.

“With the high cases of kidnappings, killings and robbery across our nation, we should know that poverty is fighting back in a hard way and all of us must coalesce efforts to embrace self-censorship for all these menaces that are immersing our nation into global ignominy and contempt to be resolved naturally”, he said.