After the pent-up, suspense and delusions, the Nigerian Senate Thursday finally screened the former Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, a ministerial nominee from Rivers State.
The Senate had twice postponed the screening of the former governor owing to some allegations of fraud levelled against him by the Rivers State Government of Nyesom Wike of the PDP and the scheduled trial of Senate President Bukola Saraki at the Code of Conduct Tribunal on alleged false declaration of assets on Wednesday.
At the inception of the screening on Thursday, however, Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, had opposed Amaechi’s screening on the grounds that the report of the ad hoc committee, set up by the Senate to look into the petitions against Amaechi’s nomination, had only been submitted but not considered by the lawmakers.
Akpabio, a former governor of Akwa Ibom State, argued that it would be inappropriate to ask the ministerial nominee questions when the report of the panel set up to investigate the allegations against him had not been considered.
He added that the Peoples Democratic Party senators, whom he represents, would not ask Amaechi questions as the report of the committee had not been considered.
But Senate Majority Leader, Ali Ndume, citing a point of order, faulted Akpabio’s argument, saying the screening of Amaechi could not be tied to the panel’s report as the two issues are different and disparate. He then moved that if the PDP Senators insist on not asking questions, Amaechi could be asked to take a bow and leave.
When the ding-dong subsided, the Senate President asked the senators to ask the ministerial nominee questions. Senator Gbenga Ashafa (Lagos East) asked Amaechi a question bordering on his alleged indictment on massive fraud during tenure as governor of Rivers State. Amaechi who put up an unfazed visage with intermittent nuanced smile held up what he described as a panel report which he claimed never indicted him of any fraud. He said it was the White Paper the Rivers State Government issued on the panel report that alleged that he was indicted.
He was also asked questions on resource control and resource sharing formula. He was later asked to go by the Senate President.
It was gathered that the APC machinery had watered the ground for Amaechi, an arrowhead in the emergence of Buhari as President. A Senator who does not want his name disclosed said Amaechi would be cleared irrespective of what the report of the Senate committee says on his suitability or otherwise.
