- … as Senate clears Keyamo, Wike, Edun, Alake, 41 others
- .Why three candidates were dropped
The name of the immediate past governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai, was on Monday missing from the list of the ministerial nominees confirmed by the Senate.
Also missing on the list was the name of Abubakar Danlandi from Taraba State and a former Nexim Bank Managing Director, Stella Oketette (Delta State).
The Senate after the screening exercise which took them a week to approve confirmed a total of 45 out of the 48 nominees sent by President Bola Tinubu.
Among those approved was Olawale Edun, a longtime Tinubu adviser, who had been tipped to become the next Minister of Finace.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio said three names had yet to be approved as lawmakers awaited their security clearance.
The Senate has the power to stop a president’s cabinet appointments, but the ruling All Progressives Congress has a majority in the National Assembly and the nominations were expected to be approved.
It was not immediately clear when the nominees would be allocated their ministerial portfolios.
Under the Nigerian law, the president is required to choose at least one cabinet member from each of the country’s 36 states.
The number of cabinet nominees has led to criticism from opponents who said this would lead to a bloated administration at a time when President Tinubu has asked Nigerian citizens to be patient with his economic reforms.
A couple of petitions including those sent by Senator Sunday Karimi (APC, Kogi West) were presented against Nasir el-Rufai during the screening.
The lawmaker representing Kogi West, during the ministerial screening, moved against the former Kaduna State governor.
Karimi, after El-Rufai’s presentations, stood up and told the chamber that he had a petition written against the former governor over the issue of insecurity in Southern Kaduna.
He said, “Your performance in any office you find yourself in the country has been outstanding. In the bureau of public enterprises, your record is there, in FCT as a minister, your record is there, and as two-time governor of Kaduna state, you did well.”
Raising a brown envelope, Karimi further stated, “But, I have a very strong petition against you that borders on security, unity, and cohesiveness of the Nigerian nation.
“And I think that the petition has to be considered in this screening exercise.”
Karimi then proceeded to lay the petition before Jibrin Barau, the deputy senate president, who was presiding over the screening exercise at the time.
Barau in response said, “I don’t know if you followed the normal process, but this is the opportunity for nominees to explain and showcase themselves, later we will come to confirmation and approval.”
Other senators commended el-Rufai, noting that the former governor was competent enough to be a minister.
Also, the lawmaker representing Kaduna North, Ibrahim Kalid, said he and his two colleagues from the state, as well as all the residents, were in support of el-Rufai’s nomination as a minister.
However, after making his presentation, Akpabio, at the plenary refused to take the petition against the former Kaduna State Governor and said a number of petitions were submitted against a number of the ministerial nominees.
“This is not the place to consider petitions, we will sit with the petitions later and refer them to relevant authorities.
“Please, take a bow, my brother,” Akpabio said.
Also, there was a petition against Dalandi about a court judgment restricting him from holding public office for 10 years.
Danladi, on Monday last week, denied being barred from holding public office for 10 years by the Supreme Court.
There had been social media posts clamouring for Danladi’s disqualification over a Supreme Court ruling that barred him from holding public offices for 10 years.
However, when asked to respond to the allegations, Danladi denied such.
He said, “The Federal High Court, Jalingo, as at the time I contested for the governorship election, said that because of my age on my certificate, the judge gave a judgement against me.
“I now took the matter up to the Appeal Court. When we were in the Appeal court, they just struck out the case.
“The same thing, Justice (Mary) Odili said that the Federal High Court Jalingo was wrong to have decided the judgement in that way because when I was Deputy Governor in 2007, the same Federal High Court Jalingo used their veto power at that time to rule against me.”
He added, “So, from the Supreme Court, I had to go back to the Federal High Court Jalingo because the Supreme Court said there was no basis for the Federal High Court Jalingo to do that.
“Then the same jurisdiction of Federal High Court Jalingo now sat on the same judgement and set aside that judgement that was hanging on me.”
At this point, Akpabio interjected, saying, “The Federal High Court Jalingo gave a judgement against you that you were not qualified to contest on the basis of perjury that you lied on oath, in respect of your date of birth then later, that same Federal High Court sat on the same matter and cleared you?
“What we are saying is that the moment the Federal High Court gave the first judgement, the Federal High Court has become ‘Functus Officio’ in law and can no longer sit as an appellate court over the same judgement.
“So, you will definitely send what you need to send and we will study them because it is in the interest of Nigeria and it’s in the public interest.”
Danladi, however, insisted that he was presently at the Supreme Court and that the Supreme Court had yet to give a judgement on the matter.
He was thereafter asked to take a bow being a former Senator in accordance with the tradition of the National Assembly.
Copies of some petitions against Okotete in the public space also confirmed that there were a number of petitions against the former Nexim Bank chief executive including non-disclosure of assets to the Code of Conduct Bureau.
The Campaign for Transparency Network and Messrs Juryman Associates Chambers asked the Senate to disqualify Okotete, as a ministerial nominee.
In a statement by its Programme Director, Ebube Nwanka, CTN asked the Senate to reject Okokete based on her alleged questionable academic records.
Nwanka alleged that Okotete had no School Leaving Certificate but proceeded to the University of Port Harcourt where she underwent Remedial Studies after which she got admitted via direct entry into the Benson Idahosa University, Benin City, Edo State.
CTN further alleged that Okotete “as an undergraduate had carry overs in four courses which she did not retake.”
It said the university upon the discovery did not approve of her graduation from the institution and the National Youth Service Corps certificate presented by Okotete was “fake.”
Also, in a statement by its Managing Partner, Oladotun Hassan, the Juryman Associate Chambers sought the disqualification of the appointment of Okotete as a minister-designate, based on a pending case instituted against her at the Federal High Court that had also been submitted to the Senate.
The letter was acknowledged by the office of the Senate President, Akpabio and Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele.
The ministerial nominee, the petitioner alleged, has a pending suit at the Federal High Court with No: FHC/ABJ/C8/2233/2023 bordering on serial false misrepresentation and forgery.
Part of the petition read: “Based on list pending case before the Federal High Court suite No: FHC/ABJ/C8/2233/2023 /Public complaint against criminal conspiracy to wit: Violation of the CBN’S regulations on Appointment of Heads of Financial Institutions.
“Gross contemptuous violation of Senate Ruling and Unimplemented 2019, Senate resolution on removal recommendation over serial fraudulent misrepresentation, No NYSC records, false information in respect of her CV on appointment as Delta State Government’s Director of Millennium Development.
“No accurate records, lack of prerequisite qualifications and deceitful withholding of CBN’s statutory position, obligations and duties as the Executive Director of the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM) against Stella Erhuvwuoghene Okotete.”
However, a letter from the CCB dated 21st March 2023 with file number CCB/HQ/II&M/007/NB/099 was addressed to Okotete.
The correspondence confirmed that the ministerial hopeful was under investigation over cases concerning breach of Code of Conduct for Public Officers.
In view of its ongoing investigation, the Code of Conduct Bureau in its letter signed by Director Intelligence and monitoring (II&M), Dr. Gwimi S.P. directed Okotete to furnish the Bureau with all necessary documents needed to carry out their investigation.
The letter read in part: “Alleged Breach of Code of Conduct for Public Officer.” The Bureau is currently investigating a case of alleged breach of Code of Conduct for Public Officers against your office.
“In view of the foregoing, you are requested to furnish the Bureau with the Certified True Copies (CTC) of the following documents:
“Copies of your letters of Appointment, Promotion Letters, Record of Service and Payslips from 2019 till date.
“All lists of loans processed and approved under you. iii Acknowledgement slips of all Assets Declaration made to Code of Conduct Bureau since you joined the Public Service.
“All documents of your buildings and landed properties both developed and underdeveloped in Nigeria and abroad. Bank Account Statements of all your personal bank accounts from January 2019 to date.
“This request is made pursuant to the mandate and powers of the Bureau as enshrined in the 3° Schedule, Part 1, Paragraph 3(e) to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended; Section 137 (a) and (b) and 138 (a) and (b) Panel Cede laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 and section 104 of Evidence Act 2011.”
Similarly, a 2019 report of the Nigerian Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions has also revealed that Okotete was indicted for forgery and was recommended for voluntary resignation or sack over fraudulent misrepresentation.
The report of the 8th Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, was then chaired by Samuel Anyanwu.
The report found Okotete guilty after thoroughly going through oral and written submissions available to the committee by the petitioners, Myson Law Practice on Behalf of Ilaje Global Think Tank Initiative and Stella Okotete.
It was revealed that Okotete allegedly misrepresented her qualifications to hold the post of Executive Director at the bank.
The Senate document observed that the chieftain of the APC did not have 15 years post-graduation experience which is required to occupy the office as specified by the Central Bank of Nigeria circular of October 15, 2015.
Other members of the committee who signed the report include; Senator Mao Ohuabunwa, Senator Mohammed Shitu, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, Senator Jeremiah Useni, Senator Matthew Urhoghide, Senator Dino Melaye, Senator Omotayo Alasoadura, Senator Binta Garba Member, Omogunwa Yele and Senator Philip Gyunka.
The confirmed ministers-designate are: Abubakar Kyari (Borno State); Abubakar Momoh (Edo State); Nyesom Wike (Rivers State); Joseph Utserv (Benue State); John Owan Enoh (Cross River State); Bello Mohammad (Sokoto State); Mohammed Badaru Abubakar (Jigawa State); Yusuf Maitama Tuggar (Bauchi State); Uju Kennedy Ohaneye (Anambra State); Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo (Ondo State); Nkieruka Onyejeocha (Abia State);Betta Edu (Cross River State); Imaan Sulieman Ibrahim (Nasarawa State)
Others are : David Umahi (Ebonyi State); Adebayo Olawale Edun (Ogun State); Ahmed Musa Dangiwa (Katsina State); Uche Geoffrey Nnaji (Enugu State); Dele Alake (Ekiti State); Waheed Adebayo Adelabu (Oyo State); Mohammed Idris (Niger State); Ali Pate (Bauchi State); Doris Anite Uzoka (Imo State); Lateef Fabemi (Kwara State); Ekperikpe Ekpo (Akwa Ibom State); Hannatu Musawa (Katsina State); Ibrahim Geidam (Yobe State); Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi (Niger State); Heineken Lokpobiri (Bayelsa State); Alkali Ahmed Saidu (Gombe State); Tanko Sununu (Kebbi State); Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi State); Bello Matawalle (Zamfara State); Adegboyega Oyetola (Osun State); Simon Bako Lalong (Plateau State); Abdullahi Tijani Muhammad Gwarzo (Kano State); Bosun Tijani (Ogun State); Mariya Mahmoud Bunkure (Kano State); Iziaq Salako (Ogun State); Tunji Alausa (Lagos State); Lola Ade-John (Lagos State); Tahir Mamman (Adamawa State); Zephaniah Jisalo (FCT); Uba Maigari Ahmadu (Taraba State); Shuaibu Abubakar Audu (Kogi State) and Festus Keyamo (Delta State).
