• PDP senators stage walk-out, APC okays proceedings

THE Senate yesterday confirmed former Rivers State Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi’s nomination alongside 17 others, for ministerial appointments.

He scaled through amidprotests by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) senators.

The confirmation was the product of intrigues, drama and manipulations triggered by the report of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions presented before the Senate.

Already, the All Progressives Congress (APC) said the confirmation of the ministerial nominees by the Senate, despite some misgivings by the opposition, has shown clearly that there is no longer any division within the APC family.

‘’The cohesion and unity exhibited by the APC senators on Thursday have shown that our legislators are ready to work with the executive and the party to ensure that the agenda of the party is implemented for the benefit of all Nigerians,’’ the party said in a statement issued in Lagos yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed. ­

‘’We commend all our members and leaders in the Senate and indeed the leadership of the APC for this show of unity,’’ it said.

As early as 8 a.m., the atmosphere around the Senate chamber was already charged as it had become clear to even a first visitor to the National Assembly that there was trouble in the air.’’

PDP senators had already gathered at one of the Senate hearing rooms for a final decision on what to do on Amaechi.

They eventually resolved to ask the Senate to adopt the report of the committee and suspend action on Amaechi’s nomination.

As the senators were meeting before the commencement of the session yesterday, Senate Majority Leader, Ali Ndume was busy coordinating APC senators to ensure that Amaechi was confirmed.

After a two-hour closed-door session during which issues on how best to approach Amaechi’s nomination were discussed, the report of the Samuel Anyanwu-led committee which recommended that Senate should stay action on the nomination was presented.

But against all expectations that all differences arising from the nomination had been resolved, senators in the open plenary were still divided along political party lines.

The committee had recommended that since 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, the Senate was unable to recommend the consideration of his confirmation.

Reacting to the recommendation, Ndume swiftly moved that the Senate should ignore the report and proceed with the confirmation of Amaechi since the committee had confirmed that the matter was pending in court.

His suggestion attracted prompt protest from the Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, who accused Ndume of attempting to mislead the Senate against debating the report.

Citing Order 43 of Senate Standing Rule, Akpabio drew the attention of his colleagues to an earlier agreement that when the Senate gets to a nominee that was petitioned, the issue should be discussed before the Senate president could put a question on whether the nomination should be approved or not.

As the session became rowdy, Senator Biodon Olujimi, PDP, Ekiti, declared that it was obvious that PDP senators were being shut out.

Olujimi insisted that the proper thing would be for the Senate to allow the court to decide on the matter and probably absolve the nominee before he is confirmed.

In his reaction, Senator George Sekibo, PDP, Rivers State, who presented the petitions against Amaechi, cautioned his APC colleagues on the implications of their actions.

He said: “We represent our people and the Nigerian people we represent are the majority. The majority is not APC, the majority is Nigerian people. The true judges are Nigerian people. So, we must respect the Nigerian people.”

The walk out by PDP senators became inevitable with the comment by Senator Barnabas Gemade, APC, Benue State, that the role of democracy is that the majority will always have its way while the minority will have its say just as he asked Saraki to ignore every other contribution and go ahead with the question.

Immediately after they staged a walk out, PDP senators, led by Akpabio, addressed a press conference, declaring that the walk out became unavoidable because of their decision not to be part of illegality.

“ PDP senators do not stage a walk out but we feel strongly there has been a breach of the Nigerian Constitution,” Akpabio said.

The committee had presented a six-point findings and observations before its single point recommendation, including “that as the investigation of the mater progressed, additional important documents which viewed the case from various positions were also tendered before the committee, and these were also taken into consideration in drawing the recommendations of the committee;

That ruling/judgment dated August 20, 2015 of the River State High Court by Honourable Justice S.C. Amadi (Judge) which rejected the relief sought to declare that the Judicial Commission of Inquiry lacks the powers to investigate and make findings known and therefore dismissed suit;

“That three different letters from Edward and Williams (a firm of legal practitioners) on behalf of the ministerial nominee as follows:

“A letter that the ministerial nominee, Honourable Chibuike Amaechi could not appear at the committee hearing because of the constraint that the matter was in court, since whatever he might say at the committee hearing would be seen as prejudicial to court judgement. The letter was dated October 8, 2015.

Other nominees that were confirmed alongside Amaechi are Adebayo Shittu, Khadijah Abba Ibrahim, Heineken Lokpobiri, Cladius Omoleye Daramola, Baba Shehuri Mustapha, Ocholi E. James and Adewole Isaac Folorunso.

Others are Bawa Bwari, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, Zainab S. Ahmed, Mansur Mohammed Dan Ali, Pastor Usani Usani Uguru, Mr. Okechukwu Enyinma Enelamah, Prof. Anwukah Anthony Gozie, Mohammed Musa Bello, Adamu Adamu and Aisha Abubakar.