Posted by By ISMAIL OMIPIDAN, Abuja on
There are strong indications that the screening of the second batch of ministerial nominees billed to commence today (Tuesday) may be delayed as a result of the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
… …As Ekiti PDP chairman, Adesanya, replaces Adeyeye
There are strong indications that the screening of the second batch of ministerial nominees billed to commence today (Tuesday) may be delayed as a result of the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
However, if the screening holds as planned, the dropped Imo PDP governorship candidate in the last April elections, Chief Charles Ugwu, Senator Mohammed Sanusi Daggash, former Ogun State SSG, Chief Sarafa Tunji Isola, and the nominee from Anambra State, Prince John Okechukwu Emeka, are among the nominees billed to appear before the Senate today for screening.
As at the time of filing this report, Daily Sun gathered that the nominee from Ekiti State, Dayo Adeyeye, whose name had originally been sent to the Senate for screening, has been dropped. He has since been replaced with the Ekiti State chairman of the party, Chief Ropo Adesanya.
Daily Sun further gathered that since the Senate President and other principal officers of the Senate would be attending the PDP NEC meeting, it was unlikely that the screening would go on as planned.
One of the principal officers of the Senate who spoke to Daily Sun yesterday on condition of anonymity said: 'Of course, the meeting would affect the screening. But since the NEC meeting hardly starts on time, we may just convene to resume screening in the morning and leave once we are sure they (other NEC members) are there. You know the meeting normally starts at noon," the source said.
However, sources close to the Senate President, David Markm, indicated that the Senate would postpone the screening by just one day, since according to the source, the Senate President and other NEC members in the Senate would want to participate actively at the meeting.
The source reasoned that if 17 nominees could be screened for two days, the Senate may just decide the same thing this week, by dedicating Wednesday and Thursday for the screening.
Meanwhile the Senate has continued to score itself high over last week's screening of ministerial nominees, insisting that the Senators did a good job.
Speaking with Journalists in his office yesterday, the Senate Leader, Teslim Folarin, who noted that the whole idea behind the screening was not an examination per se, said 'to talk about thoroughness is a subjective thing; it all depends on who you are asking. But I think the innovation to even show it (exercise) live shows who we are. It shows how genuine we are.
'But you see I must make a point here, when you are a ministerial nominee; it presupposes that you must have attained a certain level in your field of endeavours. You don't just take anybody from the street to make him a minister. They look at your achievements, what they think you can bring on board, they look at your contribution to the party, your security screening.
'The whole idea is not examination per se, it is just to make people see their leaders. It will be nice to grill people to see the stuff they are made of especially where we are not sure of the pedigree of the nominee. Take the case of the nominee from Oyo State for instance; when I introduced him, I said I was going to deviate from the pattern where some of our colleagues would ask that their nominee be asked to take a bow and go. In fact, I invited questions and I told the Senate, please ask him questions, that is why he is here, because I know he is he is up to the task."
In a related development, replacement for nominees from Jigawa State and that of Benue State have also been forwarded to President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua by their respective State governors for consideration. The nominees are: Hussein Hassan, who was a SSG under one of the military administrations in Jigawa State and Dr. Jerry Agada, a former Permanent Secretary and Benue State governorship aspirant under the PDP during the last elections. It was however not clear if their names are among the 16 names already before the Senate as at press time for screening.
Daily Sun recalls that the two nominees were not part of the original 34 names earlier sent to the Senate for screening.