ABUJA – Former Governor of Rivers State and ministerial nominee, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, who has been in the eye of the storm from home and senators of the Peoples Democratic Party extraction, was yesterday confirmed under controversial circumstances by the Senate of the Federal Republic.
Seventeen others were also confirmed by the Senate yesterday. Among them were, Mr. Okechukwu Eyinna Enelamah (Abia), Anwuka Anthony Gozie (Imo), Mohammed Musa Belo (Adamawa), Adamu Adamu (Bauchi), and Aisha Abuakar (Sokoto), Adebayo Shittu (Oyo) and Claudius Omoleye Daramola (Ondo).
Others were: Khadija Bukar Abba Ibrahim (Yobe); Brig-Gen. Mansur Dan Ali, retd (Zamfara); James E. Ocholi (Kogi); Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed (Kaduna); Mustapha Baba Shehuri (Borno); Heineken Lokpobiri (Bayelsa); Pastor Usani Usani Uguru (Cross River) and Abubakar Bwari Bawa (Niger); and Adewole Isaac Folorunso (Osun).
Hon. Amaechi had a year ago, while holding sway as governor of Rivers state, dumped the PDP for APC and was later appointed Director-General of the Buhari Campaign Organization that led the party to victory in the 2015 Presidential election.
Signs that there was going to be trouble in the red chamber were felt, when, immediately after nominated candidates for Chairman and Commissioners of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were confirmed, the Senate went into closed doors session.
About one hour, fifteen seconds later, the doors were opened only for presiding Senate President Bukola Saraki to announce that “the Senate in closed session revised the debate on the screening of ministerial nominees for appointment as Ministers of the Government the Federal Republic of Nigeria and we agreed to work in the nation’s interest”.
Thereafter the Senate begun seamless confirmation of the nominees until no.14 on the list, Prof. Anwuka Anthony Gozie (Imo), who had a petition pending against his nomination, but he was quickly relieved by Sen. Athan Acholonu (Imo North), withdrawal of the petition.
Then came the last name, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, no.18, on the list, and Senate Minority Leader Godswill Akpabio raised a point-of-order and asserted that since there was a petition against the candidate, he could not be confirmed until the matter is dealt with.
The Senate Committee Chairman on Ethics and Privileges, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu was then, asked to present his Committee’s investigative report on the petition from one Mr. Livingstone Wechie against the nominee on grounds of corruption, criminal breach of trust, unlawful enrichment and conversion of over N70 billion of Rivers peoples’ monies.
Sen. Anyanwu in his presentation observed that the ministerial nominee had gone to the Court of Appeal, to challenge the content of the petition and the white paper of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry, as such, he recommended that “the Senate is unable to recommend the consideration of his confirmation”.
He explained that as at the time of presentation of the petition on the floor of the Senate, the matter was unknown to the Senate, already a subject of litigation in an Appeal Court in Port-Harcourt and submitted that the Senate could not work contrary to its rules (Order 41(7), “it is constrained in taking any further action”.
At this point, Majority Leader (ML) Ali Ndume moved that based on the observation of the Committee, the report should not be discussed but that Rotimi Amaechi should be confirmed.
The majority leader’s motion that the substance of the report be not discussed instantly sparked fiery legislative fireworks that caused buzzy noise in the senate chamber.
Minority Leader Akpabio warned that the majority leader was derailing the Senate. He recalled an earlier agreement, that the matter would be discussed once the report is presented in the house.
Sen. Thompson Sekibo (Rivers SE) on his part warned that Nigerians and the globe were watching the proceeding and asserted that “we represent our people, and the Nigeria people we represent are the majority; the majority is not APC; the true determinants are the Nigerian people”.
“There is a moral burden on all of us; what we do today will be captured, if we encourage corruption when Mr. President is fighting…. We want to join President Buhari to fight corruption; I pray that his followers will join us in fighting corruption”.
Sen. Babajide Omoworare cited several Constitutional points and submitted that Amaechi could be confirmed. He was however countered by Sen. Joshua Lidani’s several citations to prove that the Senate Rules book has the force of law.
Also, Sen. Biodun Olujimi exclaimed that the PDP senators were being shut out. She noted that the APC senators’ behavior was contrary to President Buhari’s who rides on the crest of no corruption.
She further noted that by the time APC confirms Amaechi despite the weighty allegations of corruption against him, “Nigerians will know that this government is not ready to fight corruption.
On noticing that they were unable to sway their APC counterparts, the PDP senators staged a walk-out. Just then, Sen. Barnabas Gemade moved that the nominee be confirmed.
“We have played enough politics on this subject matter; it is time for the chairman to put the question; the minority have had their say; it is time for the majority to have their way; it is an issue of for and against; all that needed to be said has been said; so, put the question”, Sen. Gemade continued.
By the time the senate president put the question, it was only the APC senators now occupying the red chambers that voted in the affirmative, thus Amaechi was confirmed as minister of the government of the federal republic of Nigeria.
