Efforts by some Senators on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to halt the screening of a ministerial nominee from Cross Rivers State, Pastor Usani Usani Uguru, suffered a setback on Tuesday as the the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, rose in his defence to fault the issues raised against his screening.
This occurred as the Senate screened additional six ministerial nominees who are now awaiting confirmation before the end of the week.
Those screened include Professor Adewole Isaac Folorunso (Osun); Hon. Bawa Bwari, (Niger); Geoffrey Onyeama (Enugu); Mrs. Zainab S Ahmed, Brigadier General Monsur Mohammed Dan Ali and Pastor Usani Uguru.
Trouble started for the nominee shortly after his screening started when the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswil Akpabio, raised a point of order to call on the nominee to apologise to the Senate for making a derogatory remark about the PDP.
Akpabio told his colleague that he raised the point of Order after hearing the nominee remark “God forbid” to an earlier affirmation by a Senator that the nominee had traversed the length and breadth of Cross Rivers State with some Senators who he mentioned on the platform of PDP.
It was apparent that Pastor Uguru, meant to throw a banter at PDP Senators by saying ‘God forbid’ against a remark associating him with PDP, but Akpabio took exceptions to that.
It took the intervention of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, to save the neck of the nominee, as Saraki called his attention to the protest by Akpabio indicating to him that he needed to take note of the grouse by the Senate Minority leader.
Midway into his screening, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe also raised a fresh point of order to inform the Senate that the nominee did not submit his assets declaration form alongside other documents he made available to the Senate, an indication that had not up to the point of screening declared his assets contrary to the requirement of the law.
Abaribe said on the strength of failure by the nominee to declare his assets, the process of his screening should be halted.
Again, the Senate President intervened and told Abaribe that all the nominees indeed submitted their assets declaration forms including Pastor Uguru and asked Senator Abaribe to make a request for such if he so desired after plenary.
Not done, another Senator, Mao Ohuabunwa, interjected during the screening of the nominee, as he faulted the tax certificate he submitted for screening, pointing out that the certificate showed that he was cleared same day on tax payment.
He said such an error was unpardonable being a national embarrassment, a reason he stressed the nominee did not deserve to be screened.
The Senate President again came to the rescue of the nominee when he ruled Ohuabunwa out of order on the basis that the point of order he raised to stop the screening of the nominee did not affect his personal privilege as a Senator.
Before the close of session on screening, the Senate leader had looked into the Senate Standing rule to finally save the embattled nominee when he quoted a section which states that declaration of asset by a nominee could be made before screening or after 30 days after screening.
It was obvious that the PDP Senators were up to a game to stop the nominee at all costs given the open anger they demonstrated when raising issues against him.
So far, the Senate after clearing 18 nominees for ministerial appointment had also screened additional 13 who are now awaiting confirmation, while the remaining 5 nominees are to be screened today (Wednesday).
source for Honeyland News