The controversy over the screening of erstwhile Rivers State
governor, Rotimi Amaechi as a minister, ended in an anti-climax
yesterday, when seething senators of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP
turned dumb to him.
The PDP caucus kept mum upon the determination of All Progressives
Congress, APC Senate caucus for Amaechi, the director-general of the
triumphant APC presidential campaign to be screened yesterday.
The path to his appearance which had in the past been laced with
politics was agreed at a closed-door meeting of the Senate that preceded
yesterday’s plenary.
At that session, the PDP senators it was gathered had again restated
their opposition to the appearance of Amaechi, alleging that the issues
of corruption raised against him had not been debated by the Senate.
That argument was, however, brushed aside by the APC senators most of
who read politics into the opposition by the PDP, who they claimed
wanted to punish Amaechi for his role in the emergence of the new
leadership of the country.
Faced with the determination of the APC Senate caucus to forge ahead
with the screening of the former governor, the PDP members it was
gathered, were persuaded to backtrack on their earlier pledge of walking
out. Rather, the PDP senators resolved not to ask Amaechi any question.
As the Senate resumed plenary, yesterday, the chairman of the Senate
Committee on Ethics and Privileges, Senator Samuel Anyanwu laid the
report of its investigations into the petition filed against Amaechi.
The report was, however, not debated.
Following other preliminaries, the Senate upon a motion moved by the
Senate leader, Senator Ali Ndume and seconded by Senator Godswill
Akpabio, the Senate minority leader, resolved to move into the committee
of the whole for the purpose of screening nominees of the president for
ministerial positions.
Remarkably, Amaechi was the first on the list and he was followed
into the chambers by a high-profile delegation of the APC including the
party’s national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, former Speaker
Ghali Na‘abba, former Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, SAN,
Rivers State APC governorship candidate, Peterside Dakuku, Governor
Rochas Okorocha of Imo State among many others.
Asked for his opening comments, Amaechi started his greetings by
acknowledging the three Rivers State senators, all of the PDP, who have
been at the forefront of opposition to his ministerial nomination.
He greeted Senator Thompson Sekibo as the senator representing him,
forcing laughter from Sekibo, Senator Olaka Nwogu as his long time
friend and roommate at the Rivers State University of Science and
Technology. He also acknowledged Senator Osinakachukwu Ideozu, who he
said served under him as a commissioner.
Near-slip
Amaechi’s pace for peace with his senators from Rivers State almost
caused a slip as he almost forgot to acknowledge other senators.
He subsequently enumerated his experience as a legislator having
served as a two-term speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly and
then as a two-term governor of Rivers State. He cited his
accomplishments as governor to include among others, the building of
more than 315 world class primary schools, 140 model primary health care
centres among others. He also took pride in his sponsorship of two
bills while a lawmaker, the anti-kidnapping bill and a bill that defined
the responsibilities of parents, teachers and children to guarantee
children access to qualitative education.
PDP Senators fight back:
Following the greetings, the minority leader, Senator Godswill
Akpabio stood up to make a personal explanation. He said that upon the
fact that the report of the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges
had not been discussed that the PDP Senate Caucus had resolved not to
ask the nominee any question.
Turning to face his colleagues on the PDP benches, Akpabio said, “Is
that the decision of the PDP Caucus?” to which there was a thunderous
response of “Yes!.”
Senate leader, Ali Ndume apparently miffed by the action of the PDP
senators responded that Amaechi as a former legislator should then be
given the privilege to bow and go as is the practice of the Nigerian
Senate.
“The gentleman you see here is a nominee, and it’s my responsibility
to market him here before the Senate. If you people are given the
privilege to ask questions and as you said, “You people decide not to
ask questions…”
Ndume was immediately countered by roaring denunciation from the PDP
benches as they objected to what they described as the condescending
reference. Senator Akpabio immediately demanded a retraction. Senate
President Saraki rose to the aid of Ndume as he said that Ndume offered
one, but which the PDP senators said they did not hear even as some of
them demanded a formal apology.
Panel didn’t indict me — Amaechi
Following Saraki’s intervention, Amaechi was then opened to questions
from APC senators. Among those who asked him questions were Senators
Nazif Suleiman, APC, Bauchi North, Danjuma Goje, APC Gombe and Gbenga
Ashafa, APC Lagos East.
Responding to Nazif’s question on how he has managed to fight political battles, he said:
“I was born to test my rights and fight for my rights, I was once a
student union leader and believe me, if there is one man who does not
like corruption, I am the one, I do not like corruption.
Noting why he aligned with Muhammadu Buhari against his former party man, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, he said:
“We sold to the public the fact that there was massive corruption in
the system. And there was the need to fight that corruption. And the
only way to fight that corruption is to put a new government, and we had
to get a signpost candidate.
“The signpost candidate is a man who the Nigerian public has seen as
an incorruptible president. That was why the party had to put President
Buhari forward. We thought that there was a need to do things
differently. I thought that as good as the former President may have
been, I don’t think he was suitable enough for the growth and
development of Nigeria. So, we needed to offer an opportunity to
somebody we believe is better than the former President.”
Responding to Senator Ashafa’s question on the allegations pertaining
to his indictment over alleged corruption, Amaechi reiterated his
earlier claim that the report did not indict him. Flaunting a copy of
the report of the panel, he said he was ready to lay it on the table of
the Senate for scrutiny as to his alleged indictment asserting that the
indictment only flowed from the White Paper prepared by the PDP
administration that succeeded him.
“There was nowhere I was indicted (in the judicial panel report). I
came here with a copy of the so-called panel report, there is nowhere
that panel indicted me, I am ready to tender this report before the
Senate. I was ready for the questions on it, and I brought the panel
report so that the Senate can juxtapose it with the white paper.
Govs Forum checked presidential excesses:
Asked to clear the confusion over his re-election as chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, he said:
“The Governors Forum started as a check to executive recklessness.
The Senate President (Saraki) was the chairman with other governors who
are here today as senators, including Senator Goje, “we checked the
excesses, including the expenditure of the oil subsidy. There is a case
in court up till now stopping the federal government, stopping the
government from drawing money from the account to fund oil subsidy
because we believed that if we stop the Federal Government from drawing
state and local governments’ money, federal government will not be able
to bear the cost and will, therefore, remove oil subsidy which would
reduce the level of corruption. Unfortunately, the case is yet to be
heard.
“I think that the radical posture of the governors forum led to the
former president asking me that I had turned the Governors’ Forum into a
trade union.”
“I think the former president didn’t like it, and when my tenure
expired as the chairman, I was requested not to run for a second term
and I thought that as a Nigerian, I had the responsibility to exercise
my right as a governor.
“So, I put myself forward for the election, and if you saw the forces
against me, you would think that I would lose. Let me quote my brother
and friend, Senator Jang. He said ‘but North East zone supported me,
North West zone supported me, North Central zone supported me, and
South-South supported me, how did you win? You did not win, you did not
win,’ and I said but I won, I have 19 votes and the rest, as they say,
is history.
Following the screening, Amaechi was asked to bow and take his leave
of the chamber allowing other nominees to appear for the screening.
Others who appeared yesterday were Senator Heineken Lokpobiri,
(Bayelsa), Omoleye Daramola, (Ondo), Baba Shehuri Mustapha, (Borno) and
Ocholi James, Kogi. Adewole Isaac Folorunso from Osun State who was
earlier listed to be screened was left out.
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