Senate screens 6 more ministerial nominees as PDP Senators kick

The Senate yesterday screened six more ministerial nominees submitted by President Muhammadu Buhari.

With yesterday’s screening, the Senate so far has screened 31 out of the 36 nominees.

So far, 18 of the ministerial nominees have been confirmed, while five are still awaiting the screening, 12 are yet to be confirmed.

The nominees that were screened yesterday include Geoffrey Onyeama,(Enugu), retired Brigadier General Mohammed M. Dan-Ali(Zamfara) Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed(Kaduna) Professor Isaac Folorunsho Adewole (Osun), Pastor Usani Usani Uguru(Cross River) and Abubakar Bwari Bawa(Niger).

Those yet to be screened are: Professor Anthony Anwuka, Okechukwu Enelamah, Muhammadu Bello, Ms. Aisha Abubakar and Adamu Adamu.

There was mild drama during the screening of Pastor Uguru as Senators of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) picked offence on his statement against their party.

Uguru had while responding to side talks said “God forbid to be in PDP”, a statement that angered the PDP Senators.

The Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio demanded an apology, saying Pastor Uguru benefited from the PDP administration as a member of a board of Federal agency.

Uguru apologised but did not pacify the PDP Senators as they raised point of order that Uguru did not declare his assets and that his tax clearance was questionable.

But the Senate President, Bukola Saraki said all the nominees had submitted their assets declaration certificate.

Thereafter, Senator Mao Ohuabunwa (PDP, Abia North) raised Order 14 and said all the tax clearances were obtained on same day.

But the situation was calm as Saraki ruled Ohuabunwa out of order and asked Pastor Uguru to respond to questions from Senator Barau Jibril (APC, Kano North) and take a bow and go.