As the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions delayed in submitting its report on ministerial nominee RotimiAmaechi, the upper house has again postponed the confirmation rescheduled for Thursday.
“Ladies and gentlemen. There will be no #MinisterialScreening today. We will continue on Tuesday. We will tweet CVs of new nominees,” the Senate said in a Twitter post in the morning.
No other reason was given than the failure of the committee to meet Tuesday after the late adjournment of plenary, according to the Chairman of the Committee, Sam Anyanwu.
The postponement also covers 17 other nominees in the second list President MuhammaduBuhari forwarded to the Senate.
Amaechi has been in the eye of the storm of corruption allegations since his name came out on Buhari’s list of ministers for the ruling APC central government.
Senators and reps from Rivers have been petitioning the lawmakers over how Amaechi stole billions of naira from the state during his eight-year tenure as governor. An investigative panel constituted by PDP Gov. NyesomWike also recommended Amaechi for a probe.
His nomination is also opposed by some “Integrity Group”, which petitioned the Senate, saying the former governor has not answered questions on alleged financial misappropriation during his tenure as governor of Rivers.
The former governor has, however, challenged the panel report in court.
Out of the 36 nominees on the list, 18 were screened and confirmed Wednesday. Others still waiting in the wings, apart from Amaechi, include Adebayo Shittu, Bukar Ibrahim, CladiusOmoleyeDaramola, Prof Anthony Onwuka, Geoffrey Onyema, Dan Ali, Barr James Ocholi, Zainab Ahmed, OkechukwuEnelamah, Muhammadu Bello, Mustapha Baba Shehuri, Aisha Abubakar, Heineken Lokpobiri, AdamuAdamu, Isaac Adewole, AbubakarBawa and Pastor UsaniUguru.