Ministerial Screening: Amaechi Causes Commotion In Senate

 

Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi

Former Rivers State Governor and ex-Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, Wednesday caused confusion on the floor of the Senate during the ministerial screening.

After his introduction, there was bickering among the Senators on whether the former Minister should be allowed to take a bow and leave or entertain questions from the lawmakers.

While some of the lawmakers objected to the motion of him taking a bow, some others saw it as a perfect decision by the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan on the ground that he (Amaechi) was a former lawmaker.

Addressing the House, Lawan said, “I think the gesture should be extended to all lawmakers from the State House of Assembly, the House of Representatives and the Senate.

“We are not doing this for him, we are not doing him a favour. We had even discussed this before he came in. He had served as the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly for eight years. And I think he should take a bow.”

In the same vein, the Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe said Amaechi should take a bow on the ground that he “was a Speaker of the House of Assembly for eight years under the Peoples Democratic Party.

“He was a Governor for eight years on the platform of the PDP and Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum on the PDP platform. The PDP DNA runs in him.”

After addressing the house again, the Senate President asked Amaechi to take a bow amid objection from some lawmakers.