The Nigerian Senate has finally screened the ministerial nominee from Delta State, Festus Keyamo (SAN), after he tendered an unreserved apology for his attitude towards the 9th Senate.
The red chamber had dissolved to a closed session, which lasted about three hours, following a motion by the Deputy Minority Leader, Darlington Nwokocha, and seconded by the senator representing Abia South, Enyinnaya Abaribe, to step down Kayamo’s screening.
There was a rowdy session when the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, put the motion to vote.
Akpabio was sighted at the presidential villa while the closed session was ongoing.
The nominee was allowed into the chamber after three hours and he was called upon to speak.
He apologised to the Senate and explained that the list of the beneficiaries of the N52 billion public works scheme was available for scrutiny.
The Senate has now approved the appointment of all 48 ministerial nominees submitted by President Bola Tinubu
Earlier, Senator Nwokocha (LP, Abia Central), rose based on Section 88 of the 1999 Constitution, that Keyamo’s nomination should be stepped down because he refused to honour a previous National Assembly’s invitation that he was not answerable to lawmakers.
The Senator said: “Sometime in 2020, the issue of the Public Works Programme came up with N20,000 to be given to 1,000 people in the 777 local governments.
“At a point, we wanted to carry out our responsibility, because we make laws to help the people and we also have the power of oversight.
“The nominee was invited over the N52billion we appropriated. He publicly told all the people that the lawmakers wanted to hijack the process.
“Since he has been running away from here, he is here, it is our responsibility to find out (from Keyamo),” Nwokocha said while moving that Keyamo’s nomination should be put on hold
