.Defends Senate’s ‘bow and go’ ritual
House of Representatives member for Abi/Yakurr Federal Constituency, Cross River State, Dr. Alex Egbona, has charged his colleagues in the National Assembly to strengthen their oversight responsibility to hold the executive accountable.
He said the oversight function of the National Assembly should not be in secret but transparent.
Egbona stated this at the graduation of Cohort 12, Advanced Leadership Programme of GOTNI Leadership Centre in Abuja, at the weekend.
The five-day training on leadership had 21 students graduating from the centre.
“On oversight, in the ninth assembly, I had the opportunity to attend some oversight, but was not too encouraged with what we did. If you go to a ministry or parastatal, scrutinise what they are doing. If they are not doing well, bring a report saying they are not doing well. There should not be hide-and-seek business in oversight. That is what the 10th National Assembly’s agenda is about,” he stated.
He called on President Bola Tinubu to submit the list of ministerial nominees for screening with their portfolio, to ensure that the right questions are put forward.
“To some extent, it is wrong to send ministers’ names without portfolios. Though it is the Senate that screens ministers, we believe, the President, in the next two to three weeks, will send the names of ministers and may even attach their portfolios.
“Most times, what the Senate does is to ask general questions, but if it comes with portfolio, the questions will be specific,” Egbona added.
Egbona, who was also part of the graduating cohort, defended the Senate’s ‘bow and go’ screening ritual, which shields ministerial nominees from rigorous questioning.
He noted that the culture was to show comradeship to nominees with legislative experience.
The CEO, GOTNI Leadership Centre, Linus Okorie, appealed to the President to appoint only people who are action-oriented and filled with pursuit of service beyond self as ministers.
Noting that Nigeria needs to deliver quickly through strengthening of the leadership capital, Okorie said the centre has trained the best of Nigerians to be transformational leaders.
