Senate confirmation of the former Rivers state governor, Chief Rotimi Amaechi from Rivers state and another nominee from Kaduna state, Amina Ibrahim as ministers, may run into hitches.
Information reaching us indicated that while Amaechi’s confirmation is being threatened by petitions that have already been submitted to the Senate against him for alleged corruption at the time he was governor, Amina Ibrahim is alleged not to be an indigene of Kaduna state.
This is coming against the background of the Senate rule which says that approval of a person for the position of minister should enjoy the acceptance of at least two senators from the state of the nominee.
Speaking on the matter today at a news briefing, the Senate spokesman, Senator Sino Melaye, said a minimum of two senators from the state of a nominee must have subscribed to their nomination.
Melaye said that whoever is on the list must satisfy the criteria of being a member of the House of Representatives, quoting section 147 (5).
The spokesman said that it is compulsory for all the nominees to show proof of assets declaration to the Code of Conduct Bureau for them to be able to face the Senate next week. He therefore advised all nominees to, as a matter of urgency, forward their curriculum vitae.
“It is mandatory that all nominees will show evidence of asset declaration as part of requirements for screening.
“No person shall be appointed as a Minister of the Government of the Federation unless he is qualified for election as a member of the House of Representatives.”
While the three senators from Rivers State have raised allegations of corruption against Ameachi, the Kaduna South Senator are arguing that Amina Ibrahim is not an indigene of the state.
The petition submitted against Ibrahim reads: “We strongly object to the nomination of the Ministerial nominee for Kaduna State, Amina Ibrahim Mohammed. Our objection is predicated on the fact that we have reasons to believe that she is not an indigene of Kaduna State but Gombe State. The nomination and subsequent confirmation of Ministers of the Federal Government is a constitutional exercise that must be strictly followed. First, section 14 (3) and (4) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provides thus:
“14 (3) The composition of the Government of the Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity, and also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few State or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that Government or in any of its agencies.”
It is gathered that so, the three Senators from Rivers State have submitted a petition against the confirmation of Amaechi. [myad]
