The Senate on Monday ruled that the senators from Rivers State cannot stop the confirmation of a former Governor of the state, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, from being enlisted as a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria based on the report of a probe panel.
A probel panel which wad set up by the government of Governor Nyesom Wike, had indicted Amaechi, some of his aides and a former Military Administrator of the state, retired Brigadier- General Anthony Ukpo over corruption last week Friday.
They were directed to refund N97 billion to the treasury of the Rivers State Government.
Based on this, the three (3) senators representing Rivers state in the National Assembly, had said that they would resist Amaechi’s emergence as a minister from the state.
The three senators, who were elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) had said Amaechi, was not primed to hold any public office.
One of the rules of the Senate is that two (2) out of the three (3) senators must back the nomination of a ministerial nominee.
However on Monday, the Senate said that the three (3) senators cannot stop Amaechi ministerial confirmation based on the outcome of the probe.
The Senate added that since Amaechi had taken the case to the court, it couldn’t be used as a ground for the stoppage of his screening, which would commence on Tuesday.
Amaechi was present at the meeting held by The Senate Committee on Public Petitions on Monday to explain his position.
The committee, which was chaired by Senator Sam Anyanwu, said that the Senate would not take into consideration any move against Amaechi’s ministerial confirmation based on the reports of a probe panel.
