Senate dares Presidency, fails to screen Amaechi

The Senate, in a move seen by many as daring the Presidency, again, on Tuesday, refrained from screening the former Rivers State governor, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, as a ministerial nominee despite earlier indicating preparedness for his screening in the Order Paper for the day’s plenary.
Amaechi is believed to be critical to the yet-to-constituted cabinet of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Recall that the former River State governor was among the first batch ministerial nominees sent to the Senate by President Buhari on September 30, 2015, for confirmation as ministers.
There are reports that Amaechi is being used as a bargaining political tool by the Senate leadership, a reason his screening is being consistently delayed despite earlier clearance by the Ethics, Privileges and Public Petition Committee, which probed a petition against him.
However, indication emerged on Tuesday night that the Senate will not sit today (Wednesday), as the plenary where more ministerial nominees are to be screened had been shifted to Thursday.
The Acting Clerk of the Senate, Nelson Ayewoh, indicated this in a terse statement, which did not state reason for the shifting of the sitting.
The statement read: “This is to inform the distinguished Senators of the Federal Republic that resumption in Plenary has been rescheduled from Wednesday to Thursday October 23. Senators by this notice are requested to resume for sitting on Thursday”.
There are indications that the postponement of the Senate sitting is to enable Senators solidarise with the Senate President who may appear in person at the Code of Conduct Tribunal sitting today (Wednesday.
The Senate had dropped Amaechi’s name from the list of nominees it screened on account that its Committee which probed the petition against him authored by a group, Integrity Group from Rivers, was yet to table its report for a concrete decision.
The Committee Chairman, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, in a chat with newsmen at the close of last week, affirmed that the report was ready and that his Committee would lay it before the Senate during plenary on Tuesday.
However, the Committee also failed to fulfil its promise, while the Senate leadership gave no reason why it did not screen Amaechi.
Findings by the Daily Times are indicating however that the screening of Amaech is being delayed by the Senate leadership as part of a game plan to sort out the case against the Senate President, Buhola Saraki, with the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
Although the Senate Ad hoc committee Chairman, Senator Dino Melaye, told newsmen that Amaechi would be screened on Wednesday (today), emerging realities in the Senate are indicating that Melaye’s information should be treated with cautious optimism.
Our correspondent learnt that Saraki has resolved to appear in court today (Wednesday) in order not to leave room for any further embarrassment from any quarter.
The tribunal on Saraki’s failure to heed its earlier summons had threatened to issue a bench warrant for his arrest, a development which eventually compelled his appearance during the last sitting of the court.
What, however, signalled that all was not well with the proposed screening of Amaechi on Tuesday emerged shortly after the Senate resumed for plenary, just as his name was hurriedly removed from the Order Paper, which had earlier indicated that he was to be screened along with seven other nominees.
The names of nominees listed in the Order Paper included Barrister Adebayo Shittu, Heineken Lopkobiri, Chibuike Amaechi, Khadija Abba Ibrahim, Hon. Bawa Bwari, Ocholi Enjojo James, Munsur Muhammed and Zainab S Ahmed.
Meanwhile, the Order Paper containing the names was discarded while a new one was hurriedly prepared, a process which delayed the sitting of the Senate for almost 40 minutes.
When the new Order Paper was released, the name of Amaechi was conspicuously missing, while only three nominees, Barrister Adebayo Shittu, Claudius Omoleye Daramola and Khadija Abba Ibrahim were eventually scheduled for screening.
Indication that there was more to the refusal of the Senate to screen Amaechi emerged when the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Senate caucus announced a meeting to discuss some issue, which they said were pertinent to the opposition party.
The PDP has not been happy over the case of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) with the Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Obot Akpabio, whereas the meeting, according to a Senator was to review the case.
Although details of the PDP caucus meeting was still sketchy as at press time, there are reports that members resolved to be on guard to safeguard their interests which extends to the support they have been giving the Senate President.
During the Plenary on Tuesday, only two ministerial nominees, Barrister Adebayo Shittu and wife of the former governor of Yobe State, Kadija Abba Ibrahim, were screened, while as indications are rife that the screening of other nominees will now be scheduled for Thursday.
Meanwhile, Senior Special Assistant to the Secretary to the Government to the Federation, Rt Honourable Gideon Sammani, has said the rigmarole in the Senate over the screening of former Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, for ministerial post was needless, contending that Amaechi deserved to be screened by the Senate.
Sammani said Amaechi has sacrificed much for his political party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the Director General of the Buhari Campaign Organisation and had all the while demonstrated loyalty to the party.
He said if performances must be rewarded in politics, it was time all APC members in the Senate must rally forces to ensure the screening of Amaechi.
He said: “Whosoever planted, must harvest”, stressing: “The Senate I feel should not delay the screening of the former governor of Rivers State for any reason.
Sammani said President Muhammadu Buhari nominated Amaechi for ministerial appointment because of his conviction that he will add value to his government if given the chance.
The Second Republic Speaker of the Kaduna State House of Assembly said the President would not have any issue with Amaechi if cleared to be a minister, as according to him, he already has the support of the APC.
Amaechi, he said, has worked hard with sterling contributions to politics in the present Republic, adding that he deserved to be brought on board to continue to make more contributions to national development.
The Special Assistant to the SGF said the governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, had recently demonstrated how loyalty should be rewarded by appointing an over 70-year-old carpenter as a local government chairman in Ekiti State.
He said notwithstanding that the carpenter is barely literate, Fayose considered the virtue of his loyalty to bring him on board governance in the state, just to encourage loyalty on the part of party members.
Sammani, however, called on Senators to set aside bickering and crass intrigues of politics by allowing the screening of the former Rivers State governor on the basis of his competence, hard work and love for Nigeria, which he said Amaechi demonstrated during his tenure as governor.
Speaking further, Sammani said Amaechi and others will be coming into the Cabinet to work and not to amass wealth as generally believed by some Nigerians.
According to him, no one should think that a minister in the cabinet of President Buhari will have the chance to amass wealth because President will not leave room for corruption to thrive in his government.
He said there would be no time for indolence, mediocrity and corrupt practices in the present government because every serving public officer will be under searchlight.
He said: ‘’I don’t envy the incoming ministers. They cannot come in with a notion that they will amass wealth as it has been happening in the past.
‘’Each of them in joining the fight against corruption will bring to bear his or her leadership qualities while at the same time they must be transparent and incorruptible