The Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial district, Dino Melaye,
has said that President Muhammadu Buhari has made the ministerial
screenings difficult, because he did not submit the nominees’ names with
their portfolios.
Melaye stated this while appearing on Sunday Politics on Channels Television yesterday.
Buhari forwarded a 43-man list to the National Assembly last Tuesday.
The lawmakers spent the rest of the week scrutinising the potential ministers.
But Melaye feels the process would have been more straightforward, if Buhari took their advice.
“On social media, I definitely know that Nigerians are not happy,
especially with the way the proceedings of the screenings have been
conducted. I can tell you that it’s more of an adoption than a
screening.
“I will not be part of a rubber stamp National Assembly or Senate as the case may be.
“The reason we have these problems is because the President did not
yield to the request of some of us from the National Assembly to submit
the names of his Ministers with their portfolios. So we are actually
shooting from the dark.
“It will be better if the President is submitting the names of his
Ministers with portfolios so that we know their area of competence and
we can ask them questions within the jurisdiction where they are going
to serve.
“I will advise that we should screen these Ministers in committees so
that this will not delay other activities of plenary,” Melaye said.