Concerns as Senate screens 2 nominees, adjourns abruptly

In what is being viewed as a ploy to elongate the process of the screening of nominees for ministerial appointments, the Senate on Monday adjourned sitting abruptly after screening two nominees of the three slated for the day.

The Senate, without taking the third nominee, Professor Claudius Daramola, adjourned further consideration of nominees to tomorrow, Wednesday October 21st.

Those screened were the nominee from Oyo State, Abdulrahman Adebayo Shittu and Hajia Khadija Abba Ibrahim, wife of a former governor of Yobe State who is currently a serving third term Senator amidst drama.

Already there are concerns as to what will happen tomorrow during plenary, as the Senate President, Bukola Saraki is billed to appear before the Code of Conduct Tribunal to answer to the 13 count charges of false declaration of assets proffered against him by the Federal government.

It is not yet clear who will preside over the plenary at the Senate tomorrow, or if Saraki will ignore the CCT trial to preside over the screening of other ministerial nominees.

During questioning, Mr Shittu created laughter when he brought to the fore the fear of Boko Haram harboured by prominent Nigerians. Shittu, a lawyer and Islamic scholar, pointedly told Senators that he will refrain further answering questions bordering on the Boko Haram insurgency because he still has a family to take care of and he still wants to live.

Shittu, who earlier answered questions with glowing eloquence on his relationship with the current governor of Oyo State, Abiola Ajomobi, who he contested against during the last All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship primaries in state, and judicial reforms, had published scores of Islamic books, among which is Path to Paradise, a book Senator Abubakar Kwari, from Borno State, said is in tandem with the ideologies of the Boko Haram sect, said the sect’s activities are un-Islamic.

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According to him, Islam as a religion of peace, does not allow any adherent to force non-adherents to practice Islam.

He however shied away from further speaking about the violent sect, saying many prominent Nigerians that spoke against the sect have been killed, including, according to him, the legal adviser of the sect in Maiduguri.

Earlier, Shittu, a former Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Oyo State, laboured to explain his relationship with Oyo State governor but was stopped from revealing details of the infighting within the Oyo State chapter of the APC.

Hajia Abba Ibrahim, also a third term member of the House of Representatives, after starting what may have been a long treatise on her person and track record, was cut short by the Senate President, Saraki, who called her husband, Abba Bukar Ibrahim to ask the first question from the nominee.

Senator Bukar Ibrahim asked what will be her reaction if she is asked to take a bow and go. This elicited rancorous laughter from the Senators, who agreed with Saraki that she takes a bow and go.

The Senate, without taking the third nominee slated for screening, Professor Claudius Daramola, adjourned further consideration of nominees to tomorrow, Wednesday.

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