President
Buhari has expressed happiness over the screening of ex-governor of
Rivers state, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi and other ministerial nominees.
Yesterday, the presidency, through the Senior Special Assistant on
National Assembly matters, Senator Ita Enang, expressed joy that former
governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, was eventually screened by the
Senate after three postponements due to petitions written against his
nomination by concerned petitioners.
It would be recalled that a Port Harcourt-based organisation known
as the Integrity Group had petitioned the Red Chamber, alleging cases of
fraud to the tune of N70 billion against Amaechi, while he was in
office.
The report of the petition, which was not considered by the Senate,
angered the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senators, who
decided to boycott Amaechi’s screening exercise on the floor of the
National Assembly last Thursday.
Briefing Senate correspondents over the screening, the presidential
aide, said that there was nothing wrong in the senate’s screening
process on Amaechi.
"They (senators) are within their constitutional rights to
regulate their own proceedings. The constitution authorises the Senate
and the House of Representatives, and every legislative house to
regulate its own proceedings, including managing matters that are
brought before them.
Therefore, what the Senate did on Amaechi’s screening last
week, is domestic to the Senate, and I am not in a position to speak
about it; but they are within their constitutional rights. What they do
is domestic to them and internal to them and it is within their powers.
So, I am not in a position to speak in one way or the other
about it. Let me appreciate the National Assembly Press Corps, the
Nigerian press, the robust assessment and coverage of the nomination,
and the screening process by the distinguished Senate of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria.
Let me also, through you, express our very sincere appreciation
to His Excellency, the President of the Senate, the Deputy President of
the Senate, the leadership of the APC and the PDP in the Senate for the
painstaking nature and process of screening the nominees for
ministerial appointment."
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