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LequteMan
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Nigerian senate today resumed the screening of President Muhammadu Buhari's ministerial nominees.
Six persons including ex Rivers governor Rotimi Amaechi are expected ot be screened today.
Here's the order of screening:
Amaechi, Lokpobiri, Daramola, Folorunso, Mustapha & Ocholi.
12:33 Amaechi takes the stand
He speaks about his political antecedents as Speaker and later Governor of Rivers State for 8 Years each.
'We refined governance and repositioned leadership under my tenure as Governor.'
Minority Leader Sen. Akpabio raises a point of Order. He says the opposition will not ask Amaechi any question, saying they have petitions against him.
However Senate Leader Ali Ndume opposed Akpabio's stance of the opposition. He guides the Senate as its Leader.
He says Amaechi as a former Speaker and Governor could as well simply bow and go.
12:51 Senators begin questioning Amaechi after the mild arguments
Senator Tayo Alasoadura also questions Amaechi on issues concerning the Nigerian Governors' Forum.
13:00 Amaechi replies:
All we did in the Governors Forum was to defend the rights of Nigerians'
'I find it difficult to do what people want me to do, if it clashes with my principles'
'Nigerian politicians believe there is need for compromise but not when it clashes with my principles'
He speaks about his journey to the state government house.
'I believe there are resources in the Niger-Delta, that is why there is Militancy'
'If I become the Minister for Niger Delta, the East - West Road will be first to be completed,' he said.
13:07 "Can you, in your own view define what corruption is all about?" Senator Shehu Sani asks Rotimi Amaechi
'What will you do in your first 100 Days as Minister?'- Sen. Wamakko Aliyu asks.
'I want you to expose the details of the corruption charges levelled against you'- Sen Gbenga Ashafa says to him.
'I believe there is Change in the air, that is why I joined APC' - Rotimi Amaechi
'If you invest in Agriculture & invest in Technology, you will hire as many workers as you can get'
'We must improve on the Social Rights of the people; if you have peace you'll have investors.' he says.
'Why people don't invest in Nigeria is because the cost of investment is higher than the profit'
Responding to allegations of corruptions, Amaechi says 'I have never collected bribe in my life.'
'If they send a girl to you to do something for her and you sleep with the girl, you are corrupt.' - Rotimi Amaechi
'Corruption is difficult to define.' - Rotimi Amaechi.
No where in Wike's constituted Panel final report indicted me"
'If we keep to the rule of law, allow a Governor to function as a Governor, that will be it'
13:26 Rotimi Ameechi takes a bow. As he leaves he shakes the hands of the Minority Leader
A horde of National Assembly staff and well wishers yell we don win, we don win after Amaechi's screening
13: 30 The next nominee, Heineken Lokpobiri takes the stand.
He introduces himself; saying he is a former Senator.
'I wrote on Envt'al Rights as a scholar because our rights do not make provision for Envt'al Rights
Senator Heineken Lokpobiri speaks on environment issues for a while and is eventually asked to take a bow as he leaves.
13:43 Ondo state ministerial nominee Cladius Omoleye Daramola takes the stand.
Sen. Ekweremadu asks him: 'Students go for 4Year course but end up spending 8Years due to strike, how would you address this?'
Senator Abdulfatai Buhari queries him on cultism in the educational sector.
Sen Ohuabunwa asks him about teaching quality, teachers' renumeration and the standard of education in the country
'We have systemic problems in our Educational Sector' Daramola answers
'On Cultism, you rarely find Children of the poor as Cultist, most of them come from comfortable families'
We have to train and retrain Teachers. And most importantly, Teachers have to be paid regularly.'
14:15 He is asked to take his bow and leave
14:20 Senate begins screening of Honourable Baba Shehuri Mustapha.
He speaks of his prior involvements in politics.
'What advice do you think you can give to improve Local Government Administration?' Saraki asks him.
14: 29 Baba Mustapha responds to the question and is asked to bow and leave.
14: 31 Ocholi Enojo James takes the stand
He introduces himself as an active lawyer of vast legal experience.
'If you find me fit for confirmation, I make a promise that I will not mess with that," he says.
'We have 69% of the total number of inmates awaiting trial in Prisons. This is unhealthy for Nigeria.
'Our prisons need to be improved on'
'Issues on Human Rights will be given adequate consideration if i'm given anything that has to do with that area'
'In this time and age, our courts are still grinding slowly. Judges still hand write things that are said.'
'I make a vow; I will be honest, I will look at the issues &say the truthful legal advice to the President
He speaks on the Criminal Justice System saying he will work on the design and construction of new Prisons'.
'My wife just resigned her job as a registrar of a Private Institution to open an NGO that will care for the IDPs'
'One agency can combine the functions of the EFCC, ICPC, etc and perform well.
'Justice delayed is Justice denied. I like the recently passed Administration of Criminal Justice Law'
'There are so many things we need to do to expedite justice in our Nation.'
'In my experience, I have had a difficulty in buying into plea bargaining.'
'Plea Bargaining has only been recently codified clearly; the initiator, the terms, the guilt or otherwise'
'Our Supreme Court Justices are doing a very great work'
The Jurisdiction of the Supreme Court is too wide. We are in fact lucky that they don't die on the seat'.
Barrister Ocholi James continues to share his experience and thoughts on various national issues.
15:35 Ocholi James takes the bow and leaves.
15: 38 Senate adjourns the Plenary to the next Legislative day. Gavel bangs.
Six persons including ex Rivers governor Rotimi Amaechi are expected ot be screened today.
Here's the order of screening:
Amaechi, Lokpobiri, Daramola, Folorunso, Mustapha & Ocholi.
12:33 Amaechi takes the stand
He speaks about his political antecedents as Speaker and later Governor of Rivers State for 8 Years each.
'We refined governance and repositioned leadership under my tenure as Governor.'
Minority Leader Sen. Akpabio raises a point of Order. He says the opposition will not ask Amaechi any question, saying they have petitions against him.
However Senate Leader Ali Ndume opposed Akpabio's stance of the opposition. He guides the Senate as its Leader.
He says Amaechi as a former Speaker and Governor could as well simply bow and go.
12:51 Senators begin questioning Amaechi after the mild arguments
Senator Tayo Alasoadura also questions Amaechi on issues concerning the Nigerian Governors' Forum.
13:00 Amaechi replies:
All we did in the Governors Forum was to defend the rights of Nigerians'
'I find it difficult to do what people want me to do, if it clashes with my principles'
'Nigerian politicians believe there is need for compromise but not when it clashes with my principles'
He speaks about his journey to the state government house.
'I believe there are resources in the Niger-Delta, that is why there is Militancy'
'If I become the Minister for Niger Delta, the East - West Road will be first to be completed,' he said.
13:07 "Can you, in your own view define what corruption is all about?" Senator Shehu Sani asks Rotimi Amaechi
'What will you do in your first 100 Days as Minister?'- Sen. Wamakko Aliyu asks.
'I want you to expose the details of the corruption charges levelled against you'- Sen Gbenga Ashafa says to him.
'I believe there is Change in the air, that is why I joined APC' - Rotimi Amaechi
'If you invest in Agriculture & invest in Technology, you will hire as many workers as you can get'
'We must improve on the Social Rights of the people; if you have peace you'll have investors.' he says.
'Why people don't invest in Nigeria is because the cost of investment is higher than the profit'
Responding to allegations of corruptions, Amaechi says 'I have never collected bribe in my life.'
'If they send a girl to you to do something for her and you sleep with the girl, you are corrupt.' - Rotimi Amaechi
'Corruption is difficult to define.' - Rotimi Amaechi.
No where in Wike's constituted Panel final report indicted me"
'If we keep to the rule of law, allow a Governor to function as a Governor, that will be it'
13:26 Rotimi Ameechi takes a bow. As he leaves he shakes the hands of the Minority Leader
A horde of National Assembly staff and well wishers yell we don win, we don win after Amaechi's screening
13: 30 The next nominee, Heineken Lokpobiri takes the stand.
He introduces himself; saying he is a former Senator.
'I wrote on Envt'al Rights as a scholar because our rights do not make provision for Envt'al Rights
Senator Heineken Lokpobiri speaks on environment issues for a while and is eventually asked to take a bow as he leaves.
13:43 Ondo state ministerial nominee Cladius Omoleye Daramola takes the stand.
Sen. Ekweremadu asks him: 'Students go for 4Year course but end up spending 8Years due to strike, how would you address this?'
Senator Abdulfatai Buhari queries him on cultism in the educational sector.
Sen Ohuabunwa asks him about teaching quality, teachers' renumeration and the standard of education in the country
'We have systemic problems in our Educational Sector' Daramola answers
'On Cultism, you rarely find Children of the poor as Cultist, most of them come from comfortable families'
We have to train and retrain Teachers. And most importantly, Teachers have to be paid regularly.'
14:15 He is asked to take his bow and leave
14:20 Senate begins screening of Honourable Baba Shehuri Mustapha.
He speaks of his prior involvements in politics.
'What advice do you think you can give to improve Local Government Administration?' Saraki asks him.
14: 29 Baba Mustapha responds to the question and is asked to bow and leave.
14: 31 Ocholi Enojo James takes the stand
He introduces himself as an active lawyer of vast legal experience.
'If you find me fit for confirmation, I make a promise that I will not mess with that," he says.
'We have 69% of the total number of inmates awaiting trial in Prisons. This is unhealthy for Nigeria.
'Our prisons need to be improved on'
'Issues on Human Rights will be given adequate consideration if i'm given anything that has to do with that area'
'In this time and age, our courts are still grinding slowly. Judges still hand write things that are said.'
'I make a vow; I will be honest, I will look at the issues &say the truthful legal advice to the President
He speaks on the Criminal Justice System saying he will work on the design and construction of new Prisons'.
'My wife just resigned her job as a registrar of a Private Institution to open an NGO that will care for the IDPs'
'One agency can combine the functions of the EFCC, ICPC, etc and perform well.
'Justice delayed is Justice denied. I like the recently passed Administration of Criminal Justice Law'
'There are so many things we need to do to expedite justice in our Nation.'
'In my experience, I have had a difficulty in buying into plea bargaining.'
'Plea Bargaining has only been recently codified clearly; the initiator, the terms, the guilt or otherwise'
'Our Supreme Court Justices are doing a very great work'
The Jurisdiction of the Supreme Court is too wide. We are in fact lucky that they don't die on the seat'.
Barrister Ocholi James continues to share his experience and thoughts on various national issues.
15:35 Ocholi James takes the bow and leaves.
15: 38 Senate adjourns the Plenary to the next Legislative day. Gavel bangs.
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