The Minority Whip of the Senate, Senator Philip Aduda, on Tuesday said the Federal Capital Territory should be treated as a state in the country and given a ministerial slot.
Aduda, who represents FCT in the Senate, canvassed this at the plenary of the upper chamber of the National Assembly while reacting to the second list of ministerial nominees submitted by President Muhammadu Buhari.
In a Point of Order after the 16 names on the list were read by the President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, he said the FCT was crucial and big in the nation’s polity and, therefore, deserved representation in the federal cabinet.
He appealed to the President to consider the territory for a ministerial position.
Reading the list to the senators, Saraki promised that the Senate would carry out expeditious screening and confirmation of the nominees.
On the list are Khadija Bukar-Ibrahim, Thadeus Daramola, Prof. Anthony Onwuka, Jeffery Onyema, Brigadier General Dan Ali (rtd) and Barrister James Ocholi.
Others are Zainab Ahmed, Okechukwu Elelema, Mohammadu Bello, Mustapha Baba, Aisha Abubakar, Heineken Lokpobiri and Adamu Adamu.
Also on the list are Prof. Isaac Adewole, Pastor Huseni Uguru and Abubakar Bawa.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the new list brought the number of ministerial nominees sent to the Senate for confirmation to 36.
Buhari had on September 30 submitted a list of 21 nominees.
Meanwhile, the Senate on Tuesday commenced the screening of 21 nominees submitted on September 30 for appointment as ministers.
NAN reports that before the exercise commenced, the senators held an executive session to finalise modalities to discharge the responsibility.
They also received the report of the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, which recommended that the petition against the nomination of Amina Mohammed as an indigene of Kaduna State be disregarded.
The committee said Mohammed is an indigene of Gombe State and should be screened as such.
The recommendation was adopted by the Senate.
The Chairman of the committee, Senator Sam Anyanwu, however, appealed that the committee should be given until Wednesday to conclude its reports on the petition against the nomination of Rotimi Amaechi from Rivers State.
The nominees listed for screening on Tuesday, according to the order paper, were Sen. Udo Udoma, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Chief Audu Ogbe, Dr. Ogbonaya Onu, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, Lieutenant General Abduraman Danbazau (rtd) and Alhaji Lai Mohammed.
Others were Amina Mohammed, Suleiman Adamu and Ibrahm Jubril.
NAN.