PDP senators kick as Buhari fails to submit list of ministers

PRESIDENT Muhammed Buhari failed to meet up with his earlier promise of submitting list of nominees to the Senate before the end of September. The president had assured that the list containing the nominees into ministerial offices would be submitted to the Red Chamber latest by September 30,for onward screening and possible confirmation. But the Senate President, Bukola Saraki,who announces correspondences from the president at the beginning of plenary,before the consideration of any other items in the day’s business, could not announce any letter from the President during Tuesday’s session, indicating that there was no such list at his disposal. The development prompted the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP senators, through the Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, to seek clarification. Akpabio, PDP, Akwa Ibom North West, raised a point of order, under matter of urgent importance, to find out why the Senate President had not announced the president’s letter containing ministerial nominees. Akpabio,who noted that the nation’s newspapers in the last couple of weeks, have been awashed with stories of ministerial appointments by the president, asked the Senate President why he received the list from President Buhari and was hiding it from his colleagues. As Saraki attempted to answer Akpabio’s question, Deputy Senate Leader, Ibn Bala Na’Allah, APC, Kebbi South, raised another point of order, where he explained that the day was still young, saying since the day’s session ends by 12:30pm, there was still the hope that the president would transmit the list of ministerial nominees to the Upper Chamber before the close of the session. He also said since the day ends by 12 midnight, there was still hope that the list could come before the time. But the Senate President, who was thrown the question, could not provide answer, as he over-ruled Senator Akpabio, asking that the next item in the day’s agenda be introduced.