Nigerian Senate confirms seven ministerial nominees

By Ugbede James

The Nigerian Senate has screened and confirmed the appointment of seven ministerial nominees forwarded to it by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The nominees were confirmed after several hours of screening during plenary in Abuja

However, some of the nominees who had served the nation in different capacities in the past, and were confirmed by the Senate, were simply asked to introduce themselves and then take a bow and go.

The ministerial appointees who were screened and confirmed are: Dr Nentawe Yilwatda, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Muhammadu Dingyadi, Minister of Labour and Employment and  Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Minister of State and, Foreign Affairs.

Others are  Dr Jumoke Oduwole, Minister of Industry, Trade and Development, Idi Maiha, Ministry of Livestock Development, Yusuf Ata, Minister of State, Housing and Dr  Suwaiba Ahmad, Minister of State for Education.

The Senate on Wednesday gave a clean bill of health to Bianca wife of former governor of Eastern Nigeria, Odumegu Ojukwu, and six other minister-designates forwarded to it by President Bola Tinubu.

In her presentation, the nominee from Anambra, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, lamented the state of the country’s embassies abroad.

She said that poor funding had put the posts in “deplorable conditions that do not represent Nigeria’s standing in the comity of nations.”

“It is imperative to renovate the buildings and make the surrounding suitable for lawmakers to use when you come to these countries, and to interface with foreign partners”.

She said that among the country’s challenges was commitment to service, adding “if we are committed to serving this nation with the focus of finding peace, we shall succeed.”

A few senators who spoke during the exercise commended Tinubu for bringing in nominees in spite of party affiliations.

The nomination, according to Sen. Eyinnaya Abaribe (APGA-Abia) highlighted the administration’s focus on the unity of the country.

He said, “The President must be commended for nominating someone across party lines, even someone from APGA, and the wife of my former party leader, late Chief Odumegu Ojukwu.

“By this, the President has started a unity government and the process of national integration”.

For his part, Sen. Victor Umeh (LP-Anambra), described her nomination as a healing process for the country.(