Drama as Senate screens Lai Mohammed

In from Timothy Enietan-Matthews (Nation’s capital) … .

It was drama galore Tuesday at the Red Chamber of the National Assembly, as the Senate screened President Muhammadu Buhari’s ministerial nominees.

The National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed caused a stir and added some form of drama to the screening process when he was led in to be screened.

Mohammed, the nominee from Kwara State, stunned Senators by repeatedly taking several bows before the Senate President, Bukola Saraki after he repeated the same thing before other Senators. This threw the chamber into a rancorous session of laughter, with Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, almost shouting that he goes to the podium.

Shortly after Mohammed had spoken a few words, Ndume moved a motion that he be allowed to take a bow and go, but Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, said if he knows Mohammed well, he may have some propaganda to do before the lawmakers. He however amended the motion, asking that the nominee say a few words before taking a bow.

In response to the amended motion, the APC spokesman said he would be as effective in government as he was in opposition.

Earlier in his brief remark, Mohammed, whose speech was punctuated with loud laughter from the Senators, said he knew he ruffled some feathers as APC spokesman but insisted that nothing was deliberate but in the course of performing his duties as an opposition spokesman.

Continuing, Mohammed said he enjoyed his time in the opposition but believes it is more comfortable to be in government.

Earlier before Mohammed, General Abdulrahman Danbazzau, the nominee from Kano had told the Senators how he worked on improving the living conditions of Nigerian soldiers and their health care during his tenure as Army chief of staff.

Speaking on state of the Army, Danbazzau said the Army is combat ready anytime but lamented that it has challenges with equipment and manpower.

On the perennial Fulani herdsmen and farmers clashes, the nominee said the problem had been given ethnic and religious colouration but insisted that it is more of resources because the herdsmen are trying to run away from the desertification in the core North to middle belt and other parts of the country.

Hajia Amina Ibrahim Mohammed, the nominee from Jigawa, spoke extensively on MDG goals and how the current government hopes to make things work better, insisting that the federal, state and local governments must plan in the same direction so as to achieve the MDG goals.

The special Adviser to the UN Secretary General, who vowed to bring her experience to bear on government, said there is need to build investors’ confidence.

For the nominee from Jigawa State, Sulaiman Hassan Adamu, the APC government would embark on massive employment generation through industrialisation and exploitation of solid minerals.

He also advocated the use of Public Private Partnership for infrastructural development, appealing to financial institutions to focus more on long term funding of projects. He also blamed the decision of Nigerians not to patronise professionals in building for perennial cases of building collapse in the country.

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