The Senate on Monday commenced the screening of ministerial nominees forwarded to it last week by President Bola Tinubu, with 14 out of the 28 first batch of nominees appearing before senators for the exercise.
This was even as many of the nominees were made to undergo the ritual of bow-and-go contrary to the promise by the upper legislative chamber that all of them would face thorough screening by the lawmakers.
A total of 14 nominees were screened with eight of them accorded the privilege of bow-and- go tradition.
They are Senator Abubakar Kyari from Borno State, Abubakar Momoh (Edo), Barrister Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Prof. Joseph Utsev (Benue), Senator John Enoh (Cross River), Hon. Bello Muhammad (Sokoto), Alhaji Muhammad Badaru Abubakar (Jigawa), Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar (Bauchi), Senator Abubakar Danladi (Taraba), Barrister Uju Kennedy Ohaneye (Anambra), Dr. Betta Edu (Cross River), Imaan Sulaiman Ibrahim (Nasarawa) and Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejiocha from Abia State, respectively.
However, there was a mild drama when lawmakers grilled a ministerial nominee from Benue State, Joseph Utsev, citing “discrepancies” in his biodata.
Utsev told the lawmakers that he was born in Gboko, Benue State on December 2, 1980, and he attended the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, where he studied Civil Engineering and graduated with a Second Class Upper in 2004, adding that he observed the mandatory one-year National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, in Kaduna in 2006.
The Professor of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering said he bagged his Master’s Degree from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, in 2007 and further bagged a doctorate degree from the same university in 2011.
But Senator Tokunbo Abiru from Lagos East Senatorial District asked Utsev to clarify his biodata.
“You were born on December 2, 1980 but reading further down, you attended St. John Primary School, Gboko, in 1989. I am wondering whether you finished secondary school in 1989 which suggests that you started primary school at the age of three to finish in 1989.
“You also claim that you went to secondary school in 1995,” Abiru said, adding that “what appeared a bit distorted is that you graduated in 2004 meaning that you probably would have spent nine years for your first degree”.
The nominee responded that he started primary school in 1984 and got his first school leaving certificate in 1989.
“I furthered to secondary school from 1990 to 1995, that was when I got my SSCE (Senior School Certificate Examination).
“I was actually supposed to pass out in 2003 but there was a prolonged strike by ASUU, I spent six years in the programme and that was why I graduated in 2004,” Utsev explained.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio interjected and said the nominee probably finished nursery school at the age of three to start primary school at the same age.
“The question is, if you were born in 1980 and you had your first leaving certificate in 1989, that means that the period you should have been in nursery school at the age of four years, you were already in Primary One,” Akpabio said and the lawmakers had a good laugh.
Akpabio thereafter said the discrepancy in Utsev’s bio-data must have been a typo error.
However, a member from Benue North-West Senatorial District, Titus Zam Tartenger, raised Order 42 on personal explanation, saying that there is no discrepancy in the bio-data of the professor.
Senator representing Adamawa North Senatorial District, Ishaku Abbo, said there was no discrepancy in Utsev’s bio-data.
He was later asked to take a bow and go.
Also, former Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike took the podium and said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will not regret nominating him as a minister, describing himself as a performer.
Speaking during his ministerial screening before the Senate, he said he executed and commissioned a series of capital projects across Rivers when he served as governor.
“Everyday I was commissioning projects. Mr. President will not regret nominating me as a minister,” he said.
Senator Mpigi Barinada (PDP Rivers) said over five million people from the state supported Wike’s ministerial nomination and urged his colleagues to free him.
However, Senate President Godswill Akpabio explained why former Governor Wike was not thoroughly quizzed when he appeared before the Senate for screening as a ministerial nominee
Akpabio said Wike was not thoroughly grilled because the Senate had his records, having formerly served as a minister.
He said Wike had appeared before the Senate for screening when he was nominated as a minister by ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.
It would be recalled that Wike served as Minister of State for Education under former President Jonathan.
Another nominee, who was thoroughly grilled was Senator Abubakar Danladi from Taraba State, who was questioned on the Supreme Court judgment that barred him from holding any public office as a result of certificate age and falsification
In his response, he said there was no court that bar him from contesting for public office
“There was nothing in Appeal Court, they just struck out the case for lack of merit
“At the Supreme Court, the same thing happened as Justice Mary Odili said that the Federal High Court, Jalingo was wrong to have passed the judgment in that manner when I was the deputy governor in 2007.
“I had to go back to the Federal High Court, Jalingo since the Supreme Court said there was no basis for the Federal High Court, Jalingo to give that judgment.
“Then, the same Federal High Court, Jalingo, now sat on the same judgment and set aside that judgment that is hanging on me,” he stressed.
In his remarks, the Senate President, said: “The Federal High Court, Jalingo, gave a judgment against you that you were not qualified to contest on the bases of perjury that you lied on oath in respect of your date of birth, later the Federal High Court sat on the same matter and cleared you?”
Akpabio, therefore, said his case will be looked into later and asked him to take a bow and go.
The screening exercise continues on Tuesday August 1st, 2023.
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