Senate Gives Conditions For Screening Ministerial Nominees

The Senate on Thursday reached a consensus that at least two senators
from the state of a ministerial nominee must endorse each person
nominated by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Senate laid out some strict rules, which would guide the screening
exercise of ministerial nominees, Chairman of the ad hoc committee on
Media and Publicity, Dino Melaye explained that the upper legislative
chamber has reached the resolution, adding that the Senate will also
adopt other constitutional provisions and conventions for screening
nominees.

Senator Melaye said that the Senate would also apply Section 147 of
the Nigerian constitution, which states that a nominee must also be an
indigene of one of the 36 states of the federation, before that person
can be screened.

One of such rules, which dwells on the practice and convention of the
senate, will require each of the nominees to have minimum support of
two out of the three senators from their states..

Senator Dino Melaye said the modalities revolve around two major
areas, which are relevant constitutional provisions as well as
practice and convention of the Senate.

"Every nominee must provide prove of compliance as required by the
constitution and the standard rules of the Senate.

"You must declare your assets and must have a certificate of proof by
the Code of Conduct Bureau.
Sen. Melaye also stated that in Section 1473 of the Constitution that
the Constitution did not speak on adoption of a state by marriage but
that "the President shall appoint at least one Minister from each
state who shall be an indigene of such state".

He also added that a minimum of two Senators must support a candidates
but there are other conditions involved.
Senator Melaye also said the validity of petitions received by the
senate against some of the ministerial nominees would definitely
decide the fate of those affected.

Earlier at plenary, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki received a
petition from Southern Kaduna coalition against a ministerial nominee
Amina Mohammed who is ministerial nominee.

The group in a petition filed against her complained that she is not
an indigene of the state, they urged President Buhari in a seven page
petition to nominate a minister from her state Gombe and not Kaduna
her state of marriage.

The Senate President directed the chairman, Senate Committee on Ethics
and Public Petitions, Senator Sam Anyanwu to forward reports of the
committee's findings on all petitions against ministerial nominees to
the Senate before Tuesday next week.

President Muhammadu Buhari had on Thursday asked ministerial nominees
to report to the Inspector General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase, for
profiling, ahead of the screening on Tuesday, October 13 by the
Senate.

Those who have already filled the forms include Audu Ogbeh (Benue),
Chris Ngige (Anambra), Udoma Udo Udoma (Akwa Ibom) and Abubakar Malami
(Kebbi) and Babatunde Fashola (Lagos).

A source explained that the reason for the exercise is for the police
to carry out further investigations on the ministerial nominees.

-ChannelsTV