There were sparks of caution, rebuke and humour Wednesday, as all seven ministerial nominees put forward by President Bola Tinubu for confirmation presented themselves at the Senate chambers and were approved.
The nominees were screened on Wednesday following initial postponement on Tuesday.
First to be screened by the Senate was Nentawe Yilwatda, the nominee appointed to replace Betta Edu as the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction.
Other nominees including Bianca Odumegu-Ojukwu nominated as the Minister of State Foreign Affairs, Maigari Dingyadi nominated as the Minister of Labour and Employment, Jumoke Oduwole, nominated as the Minister of Industry were subsequently screened.
Others who went through screening were Idi Maiha as Minister for the newly created Livestock Development Ministry, Yusuf Ata as the Minister of State, Housing and Urban Development, and Suwaiba Ahmad as Minister of State Education.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio cautioned Senator Osita Ngwu for praising the beauty of Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu during the ministerial screening.
When Akpabio opened the floor for questions, Ngwu, who is the Senator representing Enugu West District in the 10th National Assembly, started by applauding Bianca’s beauty for which he attracted a rebuke.
“Mr President, the beautiful nominee standing before us,” the lawmaker said.
“Restrict yourself to the resume. Forget this word beautiful,” Akpabio interjected with humour. “She didn’t put in the CV that she is beautiful.”
The conversation between Ngwu and Akpabio caused a ripple of laughter among Senators. Ngwu thereafter proceeded to laud the profile and competence of the nominee.
For his part, Enyinnaya Abaribe, the Senator representing Abia South District, said Biance’s competence and ability to perform was not in doubt.
He also commended President Bola Tinubu for nominating the “mother” of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) as a minister. “By bringing an APGA person to be a minister has already started a unity government and national integration,” Abaribe said.
The nominee was subsequently asked to take a bow.
Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu is an accomplished diplomat, lawyer, businesswoman and beauty pageant titleholder. She is also the widow of former Biafra warlord Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.
Further sparks were caused when Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno South Senatorial District, warned Nentawe Yilwatda, the nominee for the position of Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, to remember the circumstances that led to the removal of his predecessor, Betta Edu, and avoid any pitfall.
Former minister Beta Edu was suspended by President Tinubu last January, over the alleged diversion of more than N585 million ($640,000; £500,000) of public money into a personal bank account and eventually replaced.
Quizzing the nominee, Ndume said the humanitarian ministry is the most important because about 60% of Nigerians are living in poverty and the nominee is coming at a time when the whole world is concerned about the escalating humanitarian crisis in the country.
“What would you do as a case of emergency to make sure that the humanitarian crisis that we are facing, and are likely to face more, will be addressed?”
Replying, the nominee said he would deploy technology and innovation to tackle the humanitarian crisis in the country.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio subsequently asked the nominee to take a bow.
They subsequently screened other appointees including Maigari Dingyadi nominated as the Minister of Labour and Employment, Jumoke Oduwole nominated as the Minister of Industry.
Also screened were Idi Maiha as Minister for the newly created Livestock Development Ministry, Yusuf Ata as the Minister of State, Housing and Urban Development, and Suwaiba Ahmad as Minister of State Education.
All the nominees were asked questions on how to run their various designated ministries effectively, which they answered to the satisfaction of the Senators who subsequently confirmed their appointments.
President Bola Tinubu had last Wednesday sacked five ministers, re-assigned 10 ministers to new ministerial portfolios and appointed seven new ministers for Senate confirmation.
Those sacked included Uju-Ken Ohanenye as Minister of Women Affairs; Lola Ade-John as Minister of Tourism; Tahir Mamman as Minister of Education; Abdullahi Gwarzo as Minister of State, Housing and Urban Development; and Jamila Ibrahim as Minister of Youth Development.
Among those reassigned were Yusuf Sununu who was removed as the Minister of State for Education and named as the Minister of State, Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction.
Olatunji Alausa was reassigned as the Minister of Education, removing him as the Minister of State, Health.
Bello Goronyo was removed as Minister of State, Water Resources and Sanitation and reassigned as Minister of State Works.
Abubakar Momoh was relieved as Minister of Niger Delta Development and reassigned as Minister of Regional Development.
President Tinubu reassigned Uba Maigari Ahmadu as Minister of State, Regional Development, from his previous portfolio as Minister of State, Steel Development.
The Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment, Doris Uzoka-Anite, was reassigned as Minister of State Finance to deputised the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun.
President Tinubu reassigned Sports Minister John Enoh as the new Minister of State, Trade and Investment.
Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim was removed as Minister of State, Police Affairs and reassigned as Minister of Women Affairs.
Ayodele Olawande was elevated as Minister of Youth Development from his initial portfolio as Minister of State for Youth Development.
Minister of State, Environment, Iziak Salako was reassigned as Minister of State, Health.
