Nigerian senate today resumed the screening of President Muhammadu Buhari’s ministerial nominees.
Stream Below:
Six persons including ex Rivers governor Rotimi Amaechi are expected ot be screened today.
Here’s the order of screening:
Amaechi, Lokpobiri, Daramola, Folorunso, Mustapha & Ocholi.
Six persons including ex Rivers governor Rotimi Amaechi are expected ot be screened today.
12:33 Amaechi takes the stand
He speaks about his political antecedents as Speaker and later Governor of Rivers State for 8 Years each.
‘We refined governance and repositioned leadership under my tenure as Governor.’
Minority Leader Sen. Akpabio raises a point of Order. He says the opposition will not ask Amaechi any question, saying they have petitions against him.
However Senate Leader Ali Ndume opposed Akpabio’s stance of the opposition. He guides the Senate as its Leader.
He says Amaechi as a former Speaker and Governor could as well simply bow and go.
12:51 Senators begin questioning Amaechi.
Senator Tayo Alasoadura also questions Amaechi on issues concerning the Nigerian Governors’ Forum.
13:00 Amaechi replies:
All we did in the Governors Forum was to defend the rights of Nigerians’
‘I find it difficult to do what people want me to do, if it clashes with my principles’
‘Nigerian politicians believe there is need for compromise but not when it clashes with my principles’
He speaks about his journey to the state government house.
‘I believe there are resources in the Niger-Delta, that is why there is Militancy’
‘If I become the Minister for Niger Delta, the East – West Road will be first to be completed,’ he said.
13:07 “Can you, in your own view define what corruption is all about?” Senator Shehu Sani asks Rotimi Amaechi
‘What will you do in your first 100 Days as Minister?’- Sen. Wamakko Aliyu asks.
‘I want you to expose the details of the corruption charges levelled against you’- Sen Gbenga Ashafa says to him.
‘I believe there is Change in the air, that is why I joined APC’ – Rotimi Amaechi
‘If you invest in Agriculture & invest in Technology, you will hire as many workers as you can get’
‘We must improve on the Social Rights of the people; if you have peace you’ll have investors.’ he says.
‘Why people don’t invest in Nigeria is because the cost of investment is higher than the profit’
Responding to allegations of corruptions, Amaechi says ‘I have never collected bribe in my life.’
‘If they send a girl to you to do something for her and you sleep with the girl, you are corrupt.’ – Rotimi Amaechi
‘Corruption is difficult to define.’ – Rotimi Amaechi.
‘If we keep to the rule of law, allow a Governor to function as a Governor, that will be it’
13:26 Rotimi Ameechi takes the bow. As he leaves he shakes the hands of the Minority Leader
A horde of National Assembly staff and well wishers yell we don win, we don win after Amaechi’s screening
13: 30 The next nominee, Heineken Lokpobiri takes the stand.
He introduces himself; saying he is a former Senator.
‘I wrote on Envt’al Rights as a scholar because our rights do not make provision for Envt’al Rights
Senator Heineken Lokpobiri speaks on environment issues for a while and is eventually asked to take a bow as he leaves.
13:43 Ondo state ministerial nominee Cladius Omoleye Daramola takes the stand.
Sen. Ekweremadu asks him: ‘Students go for 4Year course but end up spending 8Years due to strike, how would you address this?’
Senator Abdulfatai Buhari queries him on cultism in the educational sector.
Sen Ohuabunwa asks him about teaching quality, teachers’ renumeration and the standard of education in the country
‘We have systemic problems in our Educational Sector’ Daramola answers
‘On Cultism, you rarely find Children of the poor as Cultist, most of them come from comfortable families’
We have to train and retrain Teachers. And most importantly, Teachers have to be paid regularly.’
A horde of National Assembly staff and well wishers yell we don win, we don win after Amaechi’s screening
13: 30 The next nominee, Heineken Lokpobiri takes the stand.
He introduces himself; saying he is a former Senator.
‘I wrote on Envt’al Rights as a scholar because our rights do not make provision for Envt’al Rights
Senator Heineken Lokpobiri speaks on environment issues for a while and is eventually asked to take a bow as he leaves.
13:43 Ondo state ministerial nominee Cladius Omoleye Daramola takes the stand.
Sen. Ekweremadu asks him: ‘Students go for 4Year course but end up spending 8Years due to strike, how would you address this?’
Senator Abdulfatai Buhari queries him on cultism in the educational sector.
Sen Ohuabunwa asks him about teaching quality, teachers’ renumeration and the standard of education in the country
‘We have systemic problems in our Educational Sector’ Daramola answers
‘On Cultism, you rarely find Children of the poor as Cultist, most of them come from comfortable families’
We have to train and retrain Teachers. And most importantly, Teachers have to be paid regularly.’
