Amaechi
It was an anti-climax. Sparks did not fly at the Senate yesterday when former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi appeared for screening as a minister.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senators opposed to his nomination did not take him up at the session.
Amaechi only fielded questions from All Progressives Congress (APC) senators.
Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, said PDP senators and the party’s Senate caucus would not ask Amaechi questions “because we have just received Senator Samuel Anyanwu’s report on the petition on corruption against Amaechi”.
His remark paved the way for Amaechi’s screening, but the exercise was not without drama.
PDP senators kicked when Majority Leader Ali Ndume said Amaechi could just be asked “ to take a bow and go” following Akpabio’s statement.
“You people have said you will not ask questions. We are glad about that,” he said.
The words “you people” angered PDP senators, who insisted that Ndume must withdraw them.
Senate President Bukola Saraki calmed frayed nerves, noting that Ndume had withdrawn the words. He also apologised to PDP senators.
The Senate began sitting around noon and went into a closed-door session to adopt the procedure for the screening immediately after the adoption of the votes and proceedings of the previous day.
Listed for screening were Amaechi, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri (Bayelsa), Prof. Cladius Omoleye Daramola (Ondo), Prof. Adewole Isaac Folorunso (Osun), Baba Shehuri Mustapha (Borno) and Ocholi Enojo James (Kogi).
After the closed session, Ayanwu, the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions Chairman was called to submit the report on the petition filed against Amaechi by a self-styled Integrity Group.
Anyanwu presented the report but it was not considered.
Amaechi, the first to be screened, in his introductory remark, recognised the Senate leadership; Senator George Thompson Sekibo, who presented the petition against him and Senator Olaka Nwogu, who served as his Commissioner of Finance when he was governor.
The Senate erupted in laughter when he recognised them.
Fielding questions from the APC senators, Amaechi said he had never received bribe in his life, claiming that his confirmation as a minister would be a credit to the Buhari administration.
He said he fought to ensure the defeat of former President Goodluck Jonathan because he felt that Jonathan was not suitable for the country.
The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) was formed to check executive recklessness on use of funds belonging to the three tiers of government, he said.
Former Plateau State Governor Jonah Jang, who is now a senator, walked out at this stage. Jang contested for the NGF chair with Amaechi in 2013.
Amechi scored 19 votes and Jang, 16, but former President Jonathan chose to recognise Jang as the forum’s leader.
On the formation of Governors Forum he said: “I don’t know what I will say that will annoy my political opponents on the side of the PDP. In the spirit of peace, I will like to answer questions that are very peaceful.”
Amaechi, clad in Niger Delta regalia, said he was so dressed because he “came in peace”.
On the Rivers State commission of inquiry set up by Governor Nyesom Wike to investigate him, Amaechi said:
“I was born to test my rights and fight for my rights, I was once a student union leader and believe me, if there is one man who does not like corruption, I do not like corruption.
“I came here with a copy of the so-called panel report, there is no where that the panel indicted me.
“I am ready to tender this report before the Senate. I am ready for questions on it and I brought the panel report so the Senate can juxtapose it with the white paper.
On sending ministerial nominees for confirmation without their portfolios he said: “Portfolio issue is a constitutional matter. Mr. President has the power to do whatever he wants to do.
“If the legislature wants ministers to be appointed with portfolios then they must make that amendment in the Constitution.
“If it is not there in the Constitution then the president can only apply his powers as allowed him by the constitution.
“I will be glad if I see a list with portfolios, that way, everybody knows where he is going, but now you don’t know where I am going and you don’t know whether to ask me about my expertise in education or health or Niger Delta”.
On the East-West road, Amaechi said: “It is not just for the Niger Delta, it is an economic road that will lead to economic prosperity for Nigeria. If I become the Minister of Niger Delta, that will be the first road that I will address.
On unemployment he said: “When you deal with the issue of massive unemployment, you deal with the change in the economic mantra.
Asked to define corruption, the nominee said: “Corruption is very difficult to define. If you are a public officer and you don’t take bribe; I’ve never taken bribe in my life but if they send a girl to you and you sleep with the girl and do her favour, you are corrupt. Corruption is a very wide concept. If people are contesting for a position and you offer your son, brother or sister an opportunity to hold that position, probably the person is not qualified, you are corrupt. So, it is difficult for me to define corruption.”
At the Senate lobby, a senator, said: “What happened in the chamber over the so-called screening of Amaechi was a flagrant abuse of Senate rules. What happened today is an interesting precedent that Nigerians should watch.”
Lokpobiri Daramola, Mustapha and Ocholi were also screened.
But Adewole, the outgoing University of Ibadan Vice Chancellor, was not screened apparently because of the petition against him.
Lokpobiri spoke about environmental protection. He said there was a lacuna in the environmental protection law.
The Bayelsa nominee said there should be a law to empower individuals to seek redress where the environment is being destroyed.
Daramola said a mechanism should be put in place to track the money appropriated for universities to avoid incesant strikes.
The nominee said he would do his best to serve the country if confirmed.
Mustapha described himself as a grassroots politician.
The nominee said he does not represent any particular political interest but remains the voice of the common man.
He said local governments should be made autonomous and their funds released directly to them.
Ocholi said the long detention of suspects awaiting trial robbed them of their productive years.
“Keeping young boys and young girls in prison, in itself, creates a lot of problems.
“It creates a lot of overhead cost; they are kept there; they are not educated; they don’t have the time to go school.
“There is little or no school in the prison for them to go to.
“Major parts of their lives are wasted and the time they are coming out after 14, 15 years in prison, maybe they are not even convicted, they are made to start their lives afresh.”
The Nation
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