By Nathaniel Zacchaeus, Abuja

Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele yesterday disclosed that the much-awaited ministerial list would be sent to the red chamber for necessary legislative actions before Thursday.

Bamidele stated this at his 60th birthday anniversary lecture and book presentation held in Abuja yesterday.

He, however, said the President would have attended the book presentation, but he doesn’t want to be seen in any public function to avoid being influenced.

He said, “Let me tell you and you must be encouraged. I need to make myself unavailable for the next 48 hours because a correspondence must come to the Senate, a very crucial correspondence

“So, Mr President prayed for me. We should tell the rest of the Nigerians to pray for me to be able to make the right decision within the next 24 hours so that when Nigerians hear the list of his ministers, they will say yes…this is uncommon and join us to pray for Mr President. He needed to be away from any kind of influence.”

The further amendment to the 1999 Constitution by the 9th National Assembly mandated the President and state governors to submit the ministerial and commissioners list to the federal parliament and the state legislature, two months after their swearing-in.

*Akpabio decries govs fighting predecessors on resumption, worrisome

President of the Senate Godswill Akpabio, on the occasion, noted that governors in Nigeria always fight their predecessors immediately after they resumed office.

Akpabio expressed displeasure with the attitude of governors to their predecessors.

He said there is no former governor that had not had an issue with his governor citing the issue of Senator Adams Oshiomhole, and Senator Adamu Ailero apart from that of Ekiti State, Abiodun Oyebamiji who is yet to fight with his predecessor.

The President of the Senate said, “The Governor of Ekiti State is a great example of what leadership should be, he has remained steadfast

“As a Governor, the moment you hand over power to your successor, he will turn on you, either his taste will change or attitude, there is no governor in Nigeria that has no problem with their predecessor apart from Ekiti governor there is why we have to celebrate Senator Michael  Opeyemi Bamidele for the kind of his  person.”

Speaking at the event, former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof Toyin Ogundipe, disclosed that Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO) have no business in the convoy of President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima once the Police is in the convoy.

The former Vice-Chancellor, who delivered a lecture at the 60th birthday anniversary lecture, said urged political officeholders to reduce the number of vehicles in their convoy to show Nigerians that they feel their pains in this season.

Ogundipe said, “There is a need for our leaders to reduce there number of vehicles in their convoys so that Nigerians will know that you feel their pains.

“There is nothing VIO, Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) are doing in the entourage of President and Vice President once you have police in the convoy.”

Speaking on the issue of Insecurity, Ogundipe said that the issue of insecurity is a global problem, adding that there are more crimes in the countries condemning Nigeria, but it is possible to change the narrative because they control cyberspace.

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*Uproar as Oshiomhole apologises to colleagues over 9th Senate looting allegations

The Senate was yesterday thrown into a rowdy session when the lawmakers forced Senator Adams Oshiomhole to apologise on the floor following the media interview he granted.

The Senator had alleged that his colleagues who served in the 9th Senate allegedly vandalised their offices at the expiration of their tenure.

Oshiomhole, who was the former Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, had appeared on Channels Television on Sunday to accuse some 9th Assembly senators and members of the House of Representatives of vandalising and looting some of the items in their offices including carpet.

He had alleged that plasma television sets, carpets, and computers were carted away by the former senators and rep members leaving the offices empty for the new lawmakers.

He had said, “I was shocked by the level of vandalisation of properties of the National Assembly. Televisions were carted away, the carpet was carted away, and senators’ chairs were carted away.

“I had to use my money and someone also decided to deliver to me a printer, to give me a laptop to use in my office.

“I had to buy the carpet and pay the cost of fixing it. I had to pay some young people to clean the office to restore the new carpet. I had to pay to repaint my office. I will produce the receipt.

“People told me there’s also the same level of vandalisation in the House Representatives,” Oshiomhole had stated during the television programme on Sunday.

However, at plenary yesterday, the Senator who represented Lagos West Senatorial District in the 9th Assembly, but now representing Ogun West Senatorial District in the 10th Assembly, Solomon Adeola, raised a point of order to draw the attention of his colleagues to Oshiomhole’s comment.

Adeola claimed that the Edo-North Senator made a false allegation against the personalities of the 9th Assembly senators.

In his point of order, Adeola sought the Senate’s permission to compel Oshiomhole to apologise to the upper legislative chamber and members of the 9th Assembly for the misinformation against them.

Adeola said, “He (Oshiomhole) was addressing Nigerians about this Senate and knowing full well that any Senator cannot move anything outside the National Assembly without approval.

“If you move anything in a way that is not in compliance or without the approval of the National Assembly Management, your severance allowances will not be paid.”

Adeola, therefore, moved a motion that the Senate should compel Oshiomhole to apologise and his motion was supported by Senator Adamu Aliero who is representing Kebbi Central Senatorial District on the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party.

At that point, the Chief Whip, Senator Ali Ndume, through a point of order, moved that the matter should be resolved behind closed doors or be referred to the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges.

The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, put Ndume’s motion on whether the matter be treated in closed session or not, to voice, and an overwhelming ‘Nay’ from a majority of the federal lawmakers, knocked off the Chief Whip’s motion.

Senator Agom Jarigbe representing Cross River North Senatorial District drew the attention of the presiding officer to the fact that Oshiomhole deserved to be heard.

Akpabio then summoned Oshiomhole for a brief chat, after the parley, he asked the former Edo State governor to address the chamber

In his defence, Oshiomhole explained that he commented while speaking against the backdrop of the fact that the issue of N70bn allocated to support the working condition of the National Assembly, was allegedly shared by lawmakers as palliatives.

He said, “I didn’t address social media, I spoke with a respected TV station. The question was put to me by the TV host as to what justified the appropriation for the comfort of the national assembly.”

The Senator said he was merely trying to defend the integrity of the Senate as an institution on the matter.

He said, “I said many of my colleagues in the 10th Senate had to use their money to get new equipment in their offices because the offices were empty at the time they were inaugurated into the senate.

“The allegation was made by the TV host, at no time have I ever said the senators looted their offices. What I said was that offices were vandalized. I said it on television, not on social media. I said many senators had to use their money to get things because many items had been removed by the time they got to the office.

“Even before receiving our salaries, I said some of us had to use our money to equip our offices. I bought rugs and television sets in my office.

“Having listened to my explanation that was not the intention and that was not my statement and to those who think I have offended them.

“I, therefore, apologise to anyone who thinks that I have offended them based on the honest remarks because I cannot leave my home and go to the media to abuse anybody.”

The Senate President then explained that the N70bn allocated to the National Assembly was not for palliative but to assist lawmakers replace some of the things that needed to be in their offices.

He said, “The N70bn was not for palliative, it was not for rice, it was to replace some of the things that are not there.”

The Senate President nevertheless wondered why senators at the end of their tenure should remove rugs they had used for four years.

Akpabio said he never took any of the items he used in the 8th Senate away even though he paid for them.

The Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, explained that the items were usually assessed by the National Assembly Management and asked the lawmakers to either buy them or allow the institution to auction them.