Amaechi's nomination divides senators more than that of any other ministerial candidate

SENATORS remain deeply divided over the approval of former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi as his confirmation has once again been postponed until next week as squabbles over his candidature continue.

 

Governor Amaechi was one of the initial 21 ministerial nominees whose names President Muhammadu Buhari sent to the senate for confirmation. However, his candidacy has generated a lot of controversy as the three Peoples Democratic Party senators from Rivers State have read out a petition asking that he be barred as a result of corruption charges pending against him.

 

Senate president Senator Bukola Saraki sent the petition to the senate's committee on ethics, privileges and public petitions to investigate but it is yet to take a final decision on the matter and Governor Amaechi's screening has been subsequently postponed until next week. There is also some discrepancy as to whether there is a court order barring Governor Amaechi from being confirmed as a minister or not.

 

According to Senator Samuel Anyanwu, the chairman of the senate's on ethics, privileges and public petitions committee, there is no cause for alarm as they have been unable to write a report because it could not form a quorum. His committee has not been able to sit in the past three days despite being asked to hasten action on the petition by Senator Saraki.

 

 Because the committee could still not submit its report on Governor Amaechi, he has been dropped from the list of those to be screened this week. Senate sources said there is a plot to sabotage Governor Amaechi’s screening by some interested parties to orchestrate the withdrawal of his name by President Buhari.

 

One committee member said: “It seems all is not well in our committee as some of us are not happy about certain things. We cannot just go to a meeting for going sake."

 

When Governor Amaechi appeared before the committee on October 12, the petition against him could not be considered because of his disclosure that it was a subject of litigation. In the petition, the  Port Harcourt-based Integrity Group claimed that Governor Amaechi mismanaged N70bn of Rivers State funds when he was in office.

 

However, Senator Dino Melaye, the chairman of the senate's ad-hoc committee on media and public affairs, said: “The committee has a one-line report that the matter is in court and that in compliance with our laid down rules and regulations. Any case that is undergoing judicial remedy cannot be discussed.

 

“I assure Nigerians that former Governor Rotimi Amaechi by the grace of God, will be screened on Tuesday. We are going to screen nine of them on Tuesday and the remaining nine on Wednesday."

 

So far, 18 of President Buhari's ministerial nominees have been approved by the senate. They include Senator Udo Udoma, Dr Kayode Fayemi, Chief Audu Ogbeh, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, Dr Osagie Ehanire, Lt Gen Abdulrahman Danbazzau, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Hajiya Amina Mohammed, Suleiman Adamu, Alhaji Ibrahim Jibril,  Babatunde Fashola, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, Abubakar Malami, Senator Chris Ngige, Senator Aishat Al-Hassan, Solomon Dalong, Kemi Adeosun and Senator Hadi Sirika.

 

Meanwhile, the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress said that there is no court order against the screening of former governor Amaechi. Chris Finebone, the party's publicity secretary, described as laughable, a statement being circulated that the executive director of the Integrity Group, Livingstone Wechie, had obtained a court order restraining the senate from screening Governor Amaechi.