Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi
What started with turbulence has ended with turbulence as the Senate controversially confirmed Rotimi Amaechi as a minister amidst protest and walkout by PDP senators led by the Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio. But spokesman of the ruling APC, Lai Mohammed says it is democracy in action. He said the confirmation of Amaech shows there is no more division within the APC family.
Trouble had been brewing in the Red Chamber since Amaechi’s name was included among the nominees after he had been accused by his state government of monumental corruption, the matter which was investigated by a Commission of Inquiry of which White Paper indicted the former governor of Rivers State.
His screening was also controversial when the PDP caucus abstained from asking him question, claiming it has not studied the report of the senate committee set up to investigate the allegations.
But on the Senate on Thursday confirmed Amaechi and the remaining ministerial nominees that had earlier been screened. However, Senators elected on the platform of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were not part of the process of confirmation.
The effect the confirmation, the APC Senators rejected the report of its Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, which considered the petition against Amaechi. Those confirmed are: Mr. Okechukwu Eyinna Enelamah (Abia), Prof. Anthony Anwukah (Imo), Mohammed Musa Bello (Adamawa), Adamu Adamu (Bauchi) and Ms. Aisha Bello (Sokoto), Khadija Bukar Abba Ibrahim (Yobe) and Claudius Omoleye Daramola (Ondo).
Others are: Geoffrey Onyeama( Enugu) Brigadier Mohammed M. Dan-Ali (Zamfara) Barrister James E. Ocholi(Kogi) , Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed (Kaduna) , Mustapha Baba Shehuri (Borno) , Senator Heineken Lokpobiri (Bayelsa) Professor Isaac Adewole Folorunsho (Osun) , Pastor Usani Usani Uguru (Cross River) and Abubakar Bwari Bawa (Niger) and Barrister Adebayo Shittu (Oyo).
