Former Govs Oyetola, Lalong, Bagudu, Matawalle make Tinubu’s new ministerial list

By Adekunle Adesuji, Abuja

..as Senate begins screening of second batch nominees on Friday

President of the Senate, God’swill Akpabio on Wednesday unveiled the second batch of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Gboyega Oyetola, Ibrahim Geidam, Bello Matawalle and Simon Lalong.

The Ministerial list was submitted to.the Senate by Chief of Staff to Mr. President, Femi Gbajabiila who walked into the Senate Chamber to present the list to Senate President.

Others announced by Senate President were Atiku’ Bagudu, Ahmed Tijani, Dr Isiaka Salako, Dr Tunji Alausa, Tanko Sunisi, Ibrahim Geidam, Simon Lalong, Lola Adejo, Prince Abubbakar Audu, Sabi Abdullahi, Alkali Samani, Helekeins Lokpobiri Uba Maigari. and Zephaniah Jisalo.

The total number of Ministerial nominees submitted for Senate consideration will be 47 nominees.

The Senate is expected to begin the screening of second batch Ministerial nominees on Friday as the lawmakers concluded screening of 28 nominees submitted for consideration last week Thursday.

Earlier before the announcement, Senate had screened five Ministerial nominees.

During screening, Akpabio and the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, Mr. Dele Alake, from responding to some sensitive and critical questions by some Senators when he appeared before the Chamber in the ongoing ministerial screening.

Specifically, Senator representing Plateau North Senatorial District and Minority Leader of the Senate, Simon Mwadkwon, took up Alake on his alleged comment, labelling supporters of a certain Presidential candidate as “wild dogs” during the last presidential elections.

The Senator from Plateau North said, “Mr nominee, a lot of accolades have been showered on you and from your CV (curriculum vitae), you’ve done credibly well for Nigeria, especially the struggle for democracy. I’m convinced.

“Seated as Senators here, the issue of our political parties is secondary; we are Senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I am saying this because of the question I want to ask you. Therefore, any question coming from me should be taken that it is coming from a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and not from the Minority Senate.

“My question is that: I heard you sir, you said as a writer or as a journalist, you are an image maker, you speak out of inspiration and conviction… You’ve talked about the social media too. I have read on the social media, your statement concerning other political parties during the elections.

“I read a statement where you labelled supporters of a particular Presidential candidate as ‘wild dogs’. Have you come across that statement? Are you aware of it? Did you say that?”

After Mwadkwon’s question, the Akpabio, urged his colleagues to avoid campaign issues, saying “campaigns are over” and “questions must be nationalistic and not partisan”.

Mwadkwon continued and insisted that Alake answer whether it is true or not that he labelled opponents of his principal as “wild dogs” during the electioneering process earlier this year.

However, Akpabio interjected and asked that his colleague move to his second question.

In the ensuing interruptions and murmurs from the floor, Senator Muhammed Adamu from Kebbi Central, raised Order 55 that no Senator is allowed to make any noise or interrupt a speaking Senator. He said “there are so many interruption from the “other side” whilst Mwadkwon was making his point.

The Senate President thereafter sustained the Point of Order by Adamu.

Again, still worried by the question fired at Alake by the Minority Leader, the Leader of the Senate, Opeyemi Bamidele from Ekiti Central Senatorial District, differed with Adamu and raised Order 55(12), saying that “no Senator will interrupt another Senator unless to call attention to a Point of Order or privilege suddenly arising.

“We are screening ministerial nominees and we are not supposed to bring in issues that have come and gone,” Bamidele said after which Akpabio upheld his Point of Order.

Mwadkwon, the Minority Leader, later took to the floor and further asked the nominee to recite the second stanza of the national anthem.

Also, Bamidele tackled Mwadkwon and said that the Plateau Senator had brought politics into the screening by asking that Alake recite the national anthem that other nominees were not been asked to recite.

The Senate Leader, who was visibly worried over the question, asked the the President of the Senate not to allow the request to pass, and Akpabio adhered to that immediately.

“We are here to do serious business on how to move this country forward and not necessarily to sing songs,” Akpabio said, adding that all lawmakers and nominees know the two stanzas of the national anthem by heart.

Meanwhile, in the course of responding to questions from Senator’s, Alake, who is a former Commissioner for Information and Strategy in Lagos, said that there was need for strengthening social media regulations in the country.

Alake said that even though social media has advantages, its downside had become highly detrimental to a decent society like Nigeria.

He said regulations must be strengthened and tested to ensure that social media is not used in a manner that threatens the internal security of Nigeria.

His words: “The downside of social media is that it is detrimental to a good and decent society. What I would support is the strengthening of regulations. There are laws that guide our conduct in every area of human endeavour but the application of these laws have been shut.

“Even victims of libel, aspersions, defamation and all kinds of negative things in the media, hesitate to also apply the law against the culprits. I will recommend the strengthening of our regulations and the applications of those laws. The laws must be tested so we can know the proficiency of those regulations.

“I will support anything that comes from this hallowed chamber that promotes that course of action. If there are laws, bills and motions in line with this, please be sure of our full cooperation.”