Why ex-governor’s ministerial screening was postponed again

The Nigerian Senate has again postponed the ministerial screening of former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi.

His name was however removed from the Senate’s list of nominees to be screened at the last minute.

According to Senator Dino Melaye, who's the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, the upper chamber couldn’t screen Amaechi because it had resolved to reduce the number of nominees to be screened daily.

“The reason why we reduced the number of nominees is because we responded to the agitations and yearnings and the aspirations of Nigerians,” Melaye said.

“We have monitored the reactions of Nigerians on the issue of the ministerial screening and we found out that Nigerians believed that we are rushing the process and it was not as thorough as they would desire.

We have agreed that we reduce to three or four per day so that the interaction and screening exercise will be more thorough and Nigerians will appreciate who is going to be their minister,” he added.

Amaechi’s initial appearance was postponed due to the inability of the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions to submit its report on a petition against him.

The former governor’s nomination was challenged by three Senators from his state who cited allegations of corruption levelled against him by current governor, Nyesom Wike.

The Senate committee however decided that the charges couldn’t serve as grounds to prevent his confirmation as minister as the case was still pending in court.

The upper legislative chamber has so far confirmed 18 out of President Muhammadu Buhari’s 36 ministerial nominees.