Ministerial nominees must show assets declaration proof – Senate

ABUJA – If yesterday’s declaration of the Senate of the Federal Republic is anything to go by, the partial list of twenty-one ministerial nominees unveiled on Tuesday, by Senate President Bukola Saraki may have high screening huddles to cross.
This follows reaffirmation of a tripod standpoint of Constitutional provisions, Standing Rules of the Senate and established conventions of the Senate upon which screening of the nominees would be based.
Briefing correspondents on outcome of a two and half hours closed doors session, Senate spokesperson, Sen. Dino Melaye, disclosed that the senators had resolved that each nominee is to submit to the Senate, 115 copies of their resume not later than Monday, the 12th October, 2015.
Each of the ministerial nominees is Proof of Assets Declaration along with to provide a copy of Declaration of Assets Certificate, duly issued by the Code of Conduct Bureau, while they should be prepared to field questions from the Senators.
He explained that the usual “bow-and-go” accorded former members of the National Assembly has been reinstated with slight modification. According to him, if any question would be asked them at all, it would come from the chairman of the “Committee of The Whole House”, who incidentally is the Senate President.
“You will recall that this morning the Senate went into executive session; the executive session was primarily to develop a procedure for screening of ministerial nominees on Tuesday.
We considered a number of issues that have to do with the approach and procedures of the screening; we developed two modalities for the screening of the ministerial nominees: using Constitutional provisions as a fundamental procedure”, he told the correspondents.
He cited Sections 5, 14(3), 65, 147(1-3) of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended) which provides for 30 years age limit, qualifications to contest election into the House of Representatives and indigeneship of the state from which the person is nominated to be a Minister of the Federal Republic.
On the Senate front, Section 120 of the Senate Standing Rules which provides for compulsory assets declaration by a candidate seeking confirmation of the Senate; application of veracity or otherwise of petitions against a nominee; support or rejection of at least, two out of the three senators representing the candidate’s state in the Senate.
The Senate spokesperson further disclosed that the senators have resolved to give priority attention to former NASS members among the nominees by calling them to take their turns before any other candidate.
As at press time yesterday, some of the nominees were seen, going to the office of the senior special assistant the President on NASS matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang. Among those sighted at the office in the National Assembly complex included, Senator Chris Ngige (Anambra state) Dr. Ogbonaya Onu (Ebonyi), Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (Kano State), Audu Ogbeh(Benue State) Senator Udoma Udo Udoma(Akwa Ibom) Engineer Suleiman Adamu (Jigawa), and Dr. Osagie Ehanire (Edo State).
Meanwhile, there are two petitions against two nominees, namely, Chief Chibuike Amaechi, immediate past governor of Rivers State, and Amina Ibrahim Mohammed, former Senior Special Assistant on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The petitions have been referred to Sen. Samuel Anyanwu led Senate Committee on Ethics and Priviledges.
Presiding Senate President Saraki, has directed that reports of investigations into the petitions should be made ready for the Senate to deliberate upon before commencement of the screening.
Meanwhile, In line with global practices, the Senate of the Federal Republic is also to devote the next four years to facilitate completion and take-off of a dedicated radio and television station for activities of the National Assembly.
The Senate is also to mitigate problems with Nigeria budgetary system through legislative-executive initiative particularly in the areas of time frame for submission and deadline for approval of the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF).
Other areas of focus include deadline for submission and passage of Appropriation Bill; Defence of Budget proposals by ministries, departments and agencies; and review of the budgeting and planning process and the NASS Budget and Research Office (NABRO).