Contrary to wide speculations that President Muhammadu Buhari has sent Ministerial list to the Senate for screening, at the end of today’s session, the list had not reached the lawmakers.
Last week, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, was more categorical when he announced that the list would be ready by September 30.
“Time given has not yet elapsed and the president himself said by September 30, there is no cabinet, you should come and ask him questions. That is it,” he told Vanguard newspapers.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly (Senate), Ita Enang, reportedly aborted his trip to the US at the weekend to meet the September 30 deadline set by the presidency for the ministerial nomination.
But at today’s session, to the disappointment of the senators, Senate President Bukola Saraki had no list to announce to lawmakers – a situation that angered senators of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.
The minority leader of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, therefore raised a point of order, seeking clarification from the senate president regarding why the anticipated ministerial list was not read.
Mr. Saraki’s effort to respond to the minority leader was supported by deputy senate leader, Bala Na-Allah, who also raised another point of order that the session and the day had not ended.
He argued that since the day’s session ends by 12:30pm, senators should remain hopeful that the president would submit the list before the close of the session.
But as the time the session ended this afternoon, the list had still not reached the lawmakers.
The chairman of the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Information, Dino Melaye, however said the senators would treat the list with urgency as soon as it was submitted to them.
“We are still waiting for the ministerial list from the president. I want to advise that there is no need for agitation because September expires by midnight and the office of the senate president is open,” Melaye said
