The Senate has begun the screening of Ministerial Nominees sent to it last week by President Bola Tinubu for subsequent confirmation.

With the commencement, fourteen out of the twenty-eight nominees that were screened, even as out of the fourteen, seven were asked to take a bow and go, with others drilled for some minutes where they were asked questions relating to security, infrastructure, and the issue of date of birth, among others.

Momoh, Wike, Kyari, Enoh, Nkiru Onyejiocha, Tuggar, and Badaru, enjoyed the bow and Go Syndrome

Listed for screening in the Order Paper were Sen. Abubakar S.Kyari – Borno State; Abubakar Eshiokpekha Momoh – Edo State; Nyesom Ezenwo Wike – Rivers State; Engr. Prof. Joseph Terlumun Utsev – Benue State; Sen. John Owan Enoh – Cross River State; Hon.(Bar) Bello Muhammad -Sokoto State; Mohammed Badaru Abubakar – Jigawa State and Amb.Yusuf Maitama Tuggar – Bauchi State.

Others were Senator Abubakar Sani Danladi – Taraba State; Barr. Uju-Ken Ohaneye – Anambra State; Hon. (Dr). Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo – Ondo State; Dr. Betta C.Edu Cross River State: Imaan Sulaiman Ibrahim – Nasarawa State; Arch. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa – Katsina State; Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji – Enugu State and Stella Erhuvwuoghene Okotete – Delta State, just as Honourable Nkiru Onyejiocha, Abia was added.

Those who enjoyed the bow and go syndrome were a two-term of House of Representatives, Honourable Abubakar Momoh from Etsako Local Government Area of Edo State; Senator Abubakar Kyari, who was in the 8th and 9th Senate and presently the Acting National of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC; former Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike; a Senator in the 8th Senate, Senator John Enoh; and the immediate Governor of Jigawa State, Abubakar Badaru.

Others who were asked to take a bow and go were former Deputy Chief Whip of the House of Representatives, Nkiru Onyejiocha who represented Isuikwuato/ Umunneochi Federal Constituency, Abia State; former member, House of Representatives and Nigeria Ambassador to Germany, since 2017, Amb. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar.

Those drilled by the Senators were Engr. Prof. Joseph Terlumun Utsev – Benue State Hon.(Bar) Bello Muhammad -Sokoto State; Sen. Abubakar Sani Danladi – Taraba State Barr. Uju-Ken Ohaneye – Anambra State; Hon. (Dr). Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo – Ondo State; Dr. Betta C.Edu Cross River State and Imaan Sulaiman Ibrahim – Nasarawa State.

Out of the seven that were drilled by the Senators, three nominees have hurdles ranging from alleged age Falsification, forgery, and others to cross as they were asked to clarify their issues.

They are Prof. Joseph Utsev who is presently the Rector of Federal Polytechnic, Wannune, the hometown of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Senator George Akume. Utsev who hails from Buruku Local Government Area of Benue State is said to be the candidate of Akume.

The nominee in his resume showed that he was born in 1980 and finished his primary education in 1989 at the age of nine, thereby drawing the attention of the Senate to how he would be in primary one at the age of three.

Others were Senator Abubakar Sani Danladi, Taraba is on an alleged Supreme Court Judgement banning him from holding public office for ten years, and Hon. Bello Mohammed from Sokoto State that has to do with his Secondary School Leaving Certificate,

As Senate drills Cross River, Taraba, Sokoto, Benue, Anambra, Nasarawa Nominees

The Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio said that those who have issues will have their cases looked into at the stage of confirmation.

The Nominees whose names appeared on the Order Paper, but were not screened and former another legislative day were Arch. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa – Katsina State; Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji – Enugu State and Stella Erhuvwuoghene Okotete – Delta State

The screening exercise which commenced at 1.32 pm ended at 6 pm, starting with a two-term of House of Representatives, Honourable Abubakar Momoh from Etsako Local Government Area of Edo State.

Soon after Momoh introduced himself as a former Councillor, former Local Government Chairman, Ex-Member, House of Assembly, and a two-time member who represented Etsako Federal Constituency, he was asked to take a bow and go.

The second to appear before the Senate at the hallowed chamber is the former Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike.

Speaking to the Senators, Wike said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will not regret nominating him as a minister, describing himself as a performer.

Wike who noted that he executed and commissioned a series of capital projects, across Rivers when he served as governor, said, “Every day I was commissioning projects. Mr. President will not regret nominating me as a minister.”

On his part, Senator Mpigi Barinada PDP, Rivers) said that over 5 million people from the state supported the Wike’s ministerial nomination and urged his colleagues to free him. Akpabio then asked the former Rivers governor to take a bow and go following a voice vote.

Even when there were shouts of resistance apparently from the position, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the Senate President hit the gavel.

The third Nominee who is from Benue State and the Rector of Federal Polytechnic, Wannune, Prof. Joseph Utsev, said that he was born in 1980 and finished his Secondary school. Wannune is the hometown of the Secretary to the Federal Government, SGF, Senator George Akume.

The fourth Nominee who appeared at 2.55 pm was Senator Abubakar Kyari, who was in the 8th and 9th Senate and presently the Acting National of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, just as Senator Kyari was asked to take a bow and go as a former Senator and the Acting National Chairman of APC.

The next was the immediate Governor of Jigawa State, Abubakar Badarum followed by Senator in the 8th Senate, Senator John Enoh; then the former Deputy Chief Whip of the House of Representatives, Nkiru Onyejiocha who represented Isuikwuato/ Umunneochi Federal Constituency, Abia State; former member, House of Representatives and Nigeria Ambassador to Germany, since 2017, Amb. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar who were all asked to take a bow and go.

When the matter on Supreme Court banned him from public office, Senator Abubakar Sani Danladi who was former Acting Governor and Deputy Governor of Taraba State, said ” There was nothing in Appeal Court, they just struck out the case for lack of merit.

“At the Supreme Court, the same thing happened as Mrs. Mary Odili said that the Federal High Court Jalingo was wrong to have passed the judgment that manner because when I was a deputy Governor in 2007 then the judgment on that, they used their executive power at that time to nullify me so from Supreme Court, I had to go back to the Federal High Court, Jalingo since the Supreme Court said there were no bases for the Federal High Court,, Jalingo to do that judgment.

“Then the same jurisdiction of the Federal High Court Jalingo is now sat on the same judgment and set aside that judgment that is hanging on me.”

Responding, Akpabio said, “The Federal High Court Jalingo gave a judgment against you that you were not qualified to contest on the bases of perjury that you lied on oath in respect of your date of birth, then later the Federal High Court sat on the same matter and cleared you?

“What we are saying is that the moment the Federal High Court gave the first judgment they become Fontus Officio in Law and can no longer sit as appellate Court over its judgment, so you will say what you want to say we will study this because it is in the interest of Nigeria and it is of Public interest. “We will give him a chance to finish, as soon as he finishes he can take a bow.

Senator Danladi continued thus, ” The same matter, senator Shaibu Lau took the matter to Federal High Court Abuja here on the same matter sir, Federal High Court gave me the judgment and he now went to the appeal Court, it affirmed the judgment of the Federal High Court. He now went to the Supreme Court the court gave me the judgment so there was no judgment from Supreme Court, as I am talking, the Supreme Court is hearing me, there was no judgment if there is judgment, the judgment is here.”

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