Senate Confirms Obanikoro ,Others As Ministers

Senate Confirms Obanikoro ,Others As
Ministers

Nigeria’s Senate on Wednesday
confirmed Senator Mohammed Musiliu
Obanikoro from Lagos State, Senator Joel
Danlami Ikenya from Taraba State,
Hauwa’u Lawan from Jigawa State and
Kenneth Kobani from Rivers State as
ministers.
Leading the debate Deputy Majority
Leader Senator Abdul Ningi in a motion
asked the Senate to dissolve into a
committee of whole to resume the
screening of President Goodluck
Jonathan nominee for the position
ministers.
But Senator Abubakar Saraki through an
order asked the Senate to suspend the
screening because the Senate President
promised that the matter would be
discussed first at a closed session. The
Senate President rule him out saying
that closed session is a privilege normally
given by the Senate President.
In another order Senator Gbenga Ashafa
informed the Senate that there is case in
court based on newspaper reports but
the Senate President also ruled him out
that he has not been served with the
court order.
Again Senator Babatunde Omorale in
another order raised the court case
regarding the matter but Mark ruled
out of order on the same grounds that
no court order has been served on him.
He added that most of the issues raised
by the Senator are not relevant to the
matter. “I am always available I have not
been served with any court order. Court
order cannot be served on me on the
pages of newspaper” Mark said.
Based on this, the Minority Leader
Senator George Akume seconded the
motion by the Majority Leader for the
Senate to resolve into a committee of
whole to continue the screening.
The nominee from Jigawa State Hauwa’u
Lawan was the first to appear before the
Senate. All Senators in their contribution
commended President Goodluck
Jonathan for his love for the youth by
nominating her for the position of a
minister. They also commended the
Jigawa State governor for her
nomination and she was then asked to
take her bow and go. The nominee from
Rivers was also asked to take a bow and
go.
In the case Senator Ikenya, the Senate
President reminded the Senate of their
tradition of not asking former Senators
any question. “We know the tradition of
the Senate, but I will allow Senators to
ask questions if any” Mark said.
The Senators agree that the tradition of
the Senate must stand and Senator
Ikenya was asked to take a bow and go.
But it was not that easy for Senator
Mohammed Musiliu Obanikoro from
Lagos as the three Senators demanded
that his screening be deferred until his
role in the purported rigging of election
is investigated. Senator Solomon Ganiyu
through an order informed the Senate of
the position of the Lagos Senator as
demanded by their constituents.
The Senate President explained that the
Senate is caught between two traditions.
“We are caught in two traditions, the
tradition of allowing a former Senator to
take a bow and go and the tradition of
three Senators from a state demanding
the Senate to defer the screening. The
only way out is to put the situation into
voting” Mark said.
When the Senate President put the
matter into voting majority of the
Senators voted for the tradition of not
asking former Senators any question and
Senator Mohammed Musiliu Obanikoro
was asked to take a bow and go.
The Senate thereafter confirmed the
nominees as ministers. Senate President
on behalf of the Senate congratulated
them and urged them to recognize that
they are not ministers of their states but
that of Nigeria. He specially
congratulated the former Senators and
asked them to be good ambassadors of
the Senate.

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