Efforts to stop the confirmation of a former Governor of Rivers State, Chibuke Ameachi, and Amina Ibrahim gathered momentum as the Senate disclosed that the approval of at least two senators from the state of nominees is needed for confirmation of any nominee.
Already, the three Senators from Rivers State had submitted a petition against the confirmation of Amaechi.
A petition was submitted against the clearance of Ibrahim by Senator Danjuma Lar (PDP-Kaduna South).
Briefing journalists, the Senate spokesman, Senator Sino Melaye, said a minimum of two senators from the state of a nominee must have subscribed to their nomination.
Melaye said whoever is on the list must satisfy the criteria of be a member of the House of Representatives, quoting section 147 (5).
The spokesman also added that it is compulsory for all the nominees to show proof of assets declaration to the Code of Conduct Bureau for them to be able to face the Senate next week, while calling on all nominees to as a matter of urgency forward their curriculum vitae.
According to him: “It is mandatory that all nominees will show evidence of asset declaration as part of requirements for screening.
“No person shall be appointed as a Minister of the Government of the Federation unless he is qualified for election as a member of the House of Representatives.”
While the three senators from Rivers State raised allegations of corruption against Ameachi, the Kaduna South senator claimed Ibrahim is not an indigene of the state.
The petition submitted against Ibrahim reads: “We strongly object to the nomination of the Ministerial nominee for Kaduna State, Amina Ibrahim Mohammed. Our objection is predicated on the fact that we have reasons to believe that she is not an indigene of Kaduna State but Gombe State. The nomination and subsequent confirmation of Ministers of the Federal Government is a constitutional exercise that must be strictly followed. First, section 14 (3) and (4) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provides thus:
“14 (3) The composition of the Government of the Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity, and also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few State or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that Government or in any of its agencies.”