Senate Confirms 7 Ministerial Nominees

Godswill Akpabio, Senate President

The Senate has confirmed the appointment of seven ministerial nominees forwarded to it by President Bola Tinubu. The nominees were confirmed after hours of screening during the Senate plenary on Wednesday.

However, some of them who had served the country in different capacities in the past, and were confirmed by the Senate were simply asked to introduce themselves and 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, Foreign Affairs.

Others are Dr Jumoke Oduwole, Minister of Industry, Trade and Development, Idi Maiha, Minister 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 surroundings 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. Enyinnaya 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. #Senate Confirms 7 Ministerial NomineesNaira Rises against US Dollar Ahead of Sept. FX Auction