By Nathaniel Zacchaeus and Cross Udo, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu yesterday sent the much-expected ministerial nominees’ list to the Senate for consideration and approval.
The list, which contained 28 names, was personally delivered to the Senate in plenary by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila.
The Senate, invoked relevant sections of its Standing Rules, to receive the Chief of Staff to the President to deliver the communication.
No fewer than, four ex-governors made the list, namely, Senator David Umahi (Ebonyi); Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Nasiru el-Rufai (Kaduna), and Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa).
Others are Abubakar Momoh, Amb Yusuf Miatama Tukur, Ahmed Dangiwa, Hannatu Musawa, Chief Uche Nnaji, Dr Betta Edu, Dr Dorris Uzoka, Ekperipe Ekpo, Nkiru Onyeojiocha, Olubunmi Tunji Ojo, Stella Okotete, and Uju Kennedy Ohaneye.
Others are Bello Muhammad, Dele Alake, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), Muhammad Idris, Olawale Edun, Adebayo Adelabu, Iman Suleiman Ibrahim, Prof Ali Pate, Prof Joseph Utsev, Senator Abubakar Kyari, Senator John Owan-Enoh, and Senator Sani Danladi.
*No nominees yet for Lagos, 10 other states
From the list, 11 states were without ministerial nominations.
The states include Adamawa, Bayelsa, Gombe, Kano, Kebbi, Kogi, Lagos, Nasarawa, Osun, Yobe, and Zamfara.
Meanwhile, 25 per cent of Tinubu’s ministerial nominees are women.
Tinubu in the letter said, the 28 names formed the first batch of his proposed cabinet list and promised to forward the others in due course.
Part of the President’s list read, “In compliance with the provision of the Section 147 subsection 2 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended, I am pleased to forward to Senate for confirmation the under-listed 28 ministerial nominees.
“While hoping that the additional nominations will be sent in due course I hope that the aforementioned nominees will receive the expeditious consideration and confirmation of the Senate.
“Please accept Distinguished Senate President and Senators the assurance of my highest regard,” Tinubu said.
After reading out the list to the Senators, the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, referred the list to the Committee of the Whole, for appropriate legislative action.
Briefing journalists after the announcement, Senate spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu, said, the list had satisfied the expectations of Nigerians
He also said that the Senators had vowed to ensure a thorough screening of the nominees.
He also said his colleagues would ask relevant questions although portfolios did not accompany the list.
Adaramodu said, “To satisfy the expectations of Nigerians for high-velocity performance, we will “eye mark” not “earmark”, the performances.
“The screening will be very thorough but there will still be the “take a bow and go” for those who may not be asked questions by the lawmakers.”
According to him, the 10th Senate will “scrutinise the character, the ability” of every nominee. A thorough screening for anybody who will be a minister entails he/she must have ideas about everything, but in core specialties like health, yes the minister must be a professional.
“The character of the nominees must carry the resume, but we will not manufacture questions and allegations against anyone.
He advised that now that the names of the nominees have been read out, anyone who has anything against them can channel such to the right quarters.
Adaramodu said although the Senate was not supposed to sit on Mondays, because of the importance attached to this national assignment, we have suspended all our rules for them to commence the exercise next Monday.
*Screening performance will determine ministerial portfolios– Tinubu
Meanwhile, Chief of Staff to the President, Gbajabiamila, said that President Bola Tinubu did not attach a portfolio to the names of ministerial nominees because while the screening process is going on, he will have the opportunity to look at the characters of the nominees and see which ministry that fit them most.
He explained why it would have been the best idea to attach a portfolio to the names, it may cause problems if the President changes his mind after they have been screened.
The Chief of Staff also said that the list of ministerial nominees is comprised of technocrats and politicians for balance and that the nominees are eminently qualified to make the list.
Fielding questions from State House correspondents after submitting the list to the Senate, Gbajabiamila also hinted that the President may separate portfolios or restructure the ministries in such a way that new ministries that were not in existence before may emerge.
Asked why portfolios were not attached, he said, “Yes, I mean for me that would have been one way to go about it. It would have been a welcome development. As good as that sounds it straightjacket’s the President to pigeonhole one person in an office or the other.
“What happens then if you change your mind? Do you then bring the person back for screening again, because the President is at liberty to change your mind?
“For instance, if I decide I want somebody as Minister of Labour, and then after setting the name, later on, I decide that you know what, I didn’t know this about this person, this person would be better with another portfolio.
“And meanwhile, the senate has screened that person for that particular initial portfolio, what happens then? Do you now rescreen the person? So, a lot of these things have their merits and demerits, advantages and disadvantages.
“I like the idea of attaching portfolios, I do, because it makes it necessary for the Senate to know exactly what you’re asking and what you’re looking for.
“But for now, it’s been thought wise that we stick to the tradition of sending the names and then whilst the screening processes going on allowing the Mr. President and his team to look at the portfolios and the characters and see how they fit.
“The first step that he has done is that these are people that can work wherever you put them, except this specialized fields like attorney general and what have you.
“But in the main in most of the portfolios, he believes most of them can fit in anywhere. And what’s important is also that Mr President intends to separate portfolios or restructure the ministries in such a way you might be hearing of new ministries that were not standalone before. So the process continues.”
The Chief of Staff observed that the nominees have a good balance as according to him, President Tinubu took his time to assess them.
He added, “Well, first of all, I mean, I’m sure you all know that the government is not fully formed until a cabinet is in place. And that process started a while ago culminating in the delivery of ministerial nominees today.
“The President took his time, spent a lot of time going through, did a lot of due diligence, going through the nominees one by one.
“As you know he had 60 days from time of inauguration, as stipulated in the Constitution. He has fulfilled that requirement of the Constitution by submitting 28 names today.
“As his letter stated, and was read on the floor of the Senate, the remainder names, not sure how many, probably about 12, maybe 13, will be forwarded to the Senate in the coming days.
“As far as the nominees themselves are concerned, and like I said, Mr. President took his time to sift through those names. He dissected those names with a fine tooth comb. And that’s what you’ve seen. Everyone, I believe, of the persons on that list is worth being on that list.
“But I hope that we haven’t missed anything that would have necessitated any name not being on that list. But we wait and see. It’s a good mix of both people with political acumen and technocrats.
“So, this is a good balance and it’s needed. These are people who have keyed into the vision and mission of Mr. President. As I said, it’s a good balance needed to move the country forward, as Mr. President is eager to do and has already started doing.”
Gbajabiamila expressed confidence that in the next few weeks, the new ministers would hit the ground running, hinting that they would even begin work in some ways before their clearance and inauguration.
According to him, “Well, as I said, it’s a process. And we’re in the middle of the process now. As far as Mr. President is concerned, he has his cabinet. I’m sure there will be those who will be working behind the scenes, giving him advice, you know, even now, before confirmation in anticipation of confirmation, because there’s no time to waste, not a day.
Every day is important to this government.
“So, I mean, they may not start fully officially until they are confirmed, but I’m sure they will continue to contribute advice here and there to Mr. President.
“Even I, before I fully assumed officially, my office as the Chief of Staff, I was doing some skeletal work and advise Mr. President as his presumptive chief of staff.
“Work should start in earnest for them in the next week or two because I don’t see the Senate wasting too much time in the confirmation, not because they’re not going to do a thorough job, they will do a thorough job. But they will balance it with the knowledge that in this time that we are in time is of the essence.”
