Senate Resumes Screening Of Nine Ministers, ’Morrow

Barring last minutes changes, the former Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi will face Senate screening as a ministerial nominee, tomorrow.
The Senate had, on two occasions, deferred the screening of the former governor following the inability of the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges to submit its report to the Green Chamber over a petition against Amaechi bordering on alleged corruption.
A Port Harcourt-based anti-corruption organisation, the Integrity Group, had petitioned the Senate, accusing Amaechi of alleged fraud while in office as governor.
Already, the Senate had screened and confirmed 18 ministerial nominees, while 18 others are expected to be screened, tomorrow and Wednesday.
Amaechi, who was among the first batch of 21 ministerial nominees President Muhammadu Buhari sent to the Senate, could not be screened last Tuesday and Wednesday due to non-submission of the report on petitions against him by the Senate Committee on Ethics and privileges.
At the close of plenary last Thursday, the Senate announced that Amaechi would be screened along with eight other ministerial nominees on Tuesday (Tomorrow) when the Senate reconvenes.
Addressing newsmen last Thursday, Chairman, Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Media and Publicity, Senator Dino Melaye said; “Further screening and confirmation of the remaining ministerial nominees has been slated for Tuesday, next week.
“We are going to screen nine of them on Tuesday and the remaining nine would be taken on Wednesday. The screening of all the nominees would be concluded on Wednesday”.
Speaking on the controversy surrounding Amaechi’s screening, Senator Melaye said; “The Committee (Ethics and Privileges) has a one-line report that the matter is in court and that in compliance with our laid down rules and regulations, any case that is undergoing judicial remedy cannot be discussed.
“We have distanced ourselves from it and the report will be presented on Tuesday by the grace of God. I assure Nigerians that former Governor Rotimi Amaechi, by the grace of God, will be screened on Tuesday”, he said.