The handling so far of the ministerial screening and the clearance of some of the nominees appear to have raised the popularity of the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, writes Shola Oyeyipo, who spoke to a cross section of the populace
Unlike any experience known before, the screening of the ministerial nominees is being keenly followed by a majority of Nigerians, who are particularly interested in the caliber of persons President Muhammadu Buhari would co-opt into his cabinet. They are also interested to see how the Senate was going to handle the process, more so that some of the nominees had faced stern criticism from those opposed to their appointment.
Not only that, the fact that the Senate President too, Dr. Bukola Saraki, had also been in the storm, had further exacerbated the interest. Some were of the views that he has been facing political persecution since he took over the leadership of the upper chamber of the National Assembly without the consent of some forces in the All Progressives congress (APC). Some had also anticipated that the screening would present an opportunity for him and his followers in the Senate to get back at the presidency and his perceived traducers.
Apparently understanding the dicey situation before the screening commenced, the APC Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Timi Frank, in one of his columns titled: ‘Ministerial Screening Without Vendetta,’ published in a national daily, urged the Senate to jettison sentiments in the screening process.
In the article, Frank stated that: “The Senate cannot afford to listen to the motley crowd, apparently sponsored to do pure mischief. The law is clear; the Constitution says that for anybody to qualify to be minister, he must first be qualified to contest elections into the House of Representatives. He must not be an ex-convict. He must be a citizen and a member of a political party. He must present tax clearance proof for at least three years, among other things.
“Let the senators adhere to these golden rules. Sentiment and vendetta should be made to take the back seat in all aspects of our national life. It is on this note that I think we cannot neglect to countenance the Senate President’s further vow to make Nigerians proud of the outcome of the crucial encounter.”
He was making reference to assurances by Saraki that vendetta would not be part of the factors that would determine the outcome of the screening when he said: “We have said that for the 8th Senate, it is not going to be business as usual. What I can assure you is that we will go with the Constitution, the rules; we will put Nigeria first.
“Screening will be done with seriousness and what we are all about is our constitutional responsibility to ensure that we find people, who are fit enough to be ministers and particularly this time, to give President Buhari the support he requires.”
Between Tuesday and Wednesday, 18 ministerial nominees had been screened by the Senate and subsequently cleared. Those already cleared are Senator Udoma Udo-Udoma, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Chief Audu Ogbeh, Chief Ogbonnaya Onu, Dr. Osage Ehanire, Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazzau, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Amina Mohammed, Suleiman Adamu, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, Senator Chris Ngige, Abubakar Malami (SAN), Senator Aisha Alhassan, Mr. Solomon Dalong, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, Mr. Hadi Sirika and Mr. Ibrahim Jibril.
While Nigerians await the continuation and conclusion of the remaining screening, a number of the people who had observed the conduct of the screening exercise had expressed varying opinions about it, a majority satisfying.
For instance, oil and gas consultant, public affairs commentator and Managing Partner of BBH Consulting based in Abuja, Mr. Madaki Ameh rated the screening highly. To him, the nominees performed well at the Senate.
“The nominees gave good account of themselves at the screening, but what was missing in it is that portfolios are not attached to each one of them to allow for proper screening,” Ameh said, alluding to the fact that the performance of the nominees was informed by the quality of questions posed by the Saraki-led Senate.
Peoples Democratic Party stalwart in Kogi State and former House of Representatives member who represented Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu federal constituency of the state, Hon. Duro Meseko felt the ongoing screening is an improvement on the previous ones conducted, especially because the nominees were made to answer some pertinent questions.
“In my view, I would say the screening is better conducted than what we had before. At least, what we experienced was not the usual ‘take a bow.’ We saw the senators engaging some of the nominees for more than an hour. It is a clear departure from the usual.
“Though the screening was not 100 per cent good, it was better. I expected more grilling on some important issues, which was not done. I guess the reason is that portfolios were not attached. So, I want to suggest that anytime any incumbent president is sending list of ministerial nominees to the Senate, it should be accompanied by their portfolios so that some specific questions could be asked from the nominees.
“For instance, if someone is nominated as the Minister for Agriculture; we know our problems and we know what specific questions to ask about how you intend to address such problems when giving the privilege to serve,” he noted.
Founder, Support our Troops Foundation, Mrs. Funmi Ogbue is also of the opinion that the exercise was not bad and that it is better than what was obtainable in the past.
“For me, the screening has been very impressive. I like the fact that the Senate asked them some questions about their conducts and their plans for the country. It was not business as usual. They asked Fashola a very difficult question about the money he spent on his website. So, it was also an opportunity for people to clear the air about some lingering allegations against them.
“One thing I was disappointed about is that there was not enough representation of the non-politicians and younger generation. Professionals chosen on merit should have been part of the list as we had in previous administrations. Even under former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo we had younger generation. There is efficiency in the private sector and we should not wait till they retire,” she urged.
But the Labour Party National Secretary, Mr. Kayode Ajulo sees the episode differently. For him, the process could have been fiercer and some persons facing corruption allegations should have been expunged either by the presidency or the lawmakers.
Ajulo said: “What offends the true and discerning patriot in all of these are the smooth but dubious rhetoric and largely unserious manner in which the screening cum confirmation process is being conducted.
“It is very appalling that President Buhari – a man perceived as an icon of incorruptibility, after having affirmed to the entire country that he ‘belongs to nobody and everybody’ and that even though ‘Nigerians have nothing to fear from him as a person, and everything to fear about the consequences of their actions,’ would go on to nominate out of 170 million Nigerians, persons tainted with gross allegations of mismanagement of state funds for appointment in the cabinet of a government that rode to power on the premise of integrity and probity.
“The circus that was called a senatorial screening process saw nominees and senators backslapping, high-fiving and exchanging jokes as if they were at a cocktail dinner or at a reception dinner for old friends. The lack of seriousness that characterised the proceedings alerted all perceptive viewers to the fact that the entire process was nothing but an extended charade intended to further hoodwink Nigerians that something germane was going on.
“The right questions were left unasked and even when asked; the questions were skillfully evaded by the nominees. The nominees were repeatedly indulged by the senators as they embarked on an evasive, and sometimes, long-winded rhetoric that wearied many a listener, while some were simply advised to ‘take a bow and go’ without any form of screening,” Ajulo opined.
But while he took that position, a former Senior Special Assistant on Media to Senate President Saraki and currently the chairman, Ekiti local government area in Kwara State, Mr. Akintoba Fatigun, said with the way Saraki handled the screening, he has proven those propagating the notion that he would antagonise President Buhari wrong.
“With the way the Senate President has managed the screening, he has shown that he is not against President Buhari. He has also shown that he is not only a member on paper but a party man to the core.
“The exercise is thorough and he has shown that he wants to work with the president so that the country can move forward. He has handled the exercise maturely and people have been commending the process. Most of what they have said against him is purely propaganda. The president should feel free to work with the Senate President,” Fatigun advised.
Although a majority of the people had expected more from the Senate, especially if the president had attached portfolios to each of the nominees, the fact that the senate under Saraki chose to be different regardless of this palpable inadequacy is generally seen as a promising sign of a new senate – a senate that would show too the arrival of a new sheriff to a familiar town.
There is no debating the fact that the rating of Saraki has since shot up, coming from an impressive screening exercise as well as the management of the several other tendencies that could make or mar his leadership. He has displayed maturity, wisdom, discretion, political intelligence and above all, he has been able to leverage on his street credibility to see the 8th senate run a great show in the body polity.
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