Nominees are experienced, not recycled -Ngige

Contrary to criticisms in many quarters, that the list of ministerial nominees submitted to the Senate by President Muhammadu Buhari are recycled politicians from the past, one of the nominees, Senator Chris Ngige has stated that the president selected experienced politicians that can help deliver on electoral promises.

Ngige who spoke with State House correspondents shortly after a meeting with President Buhari behind closed doors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Friday, said, “If you look at the list critically, you will observe that the President wants to work with people who have cognate experience in governance.

“When I say cognate experience, we are talking of people who have been tested, tried and trusted by their various people.

“So, I don’t think Nigerians should expect anything less than what the President is already doing.

“The team will help the President to deliver on most of the promises he made to Nigerian people.”

According to him, the various criteria outlined by the Senate for the screening of ministerial nominees submitted to it by President Muhammadu Buhari were in conformity with the nation’s constitution.

Ngige said he would not lose sleep because of the requirements since they are constitutional.

He said, “Why should I be bordered? The senate is populated by elder statesmen and women and what they say they will do is in conformity with the laws of the land.

Read also: Senate to nominees: Come with asset declaration certificates

“That they will use constitutional requirements which I just mentioned to you now; and they would also use senate rules and they also say they would use the method: ‘bow and go’ which is a tradition.”

While saying that there is no pushover among the 21 names submitted to the Senate, the former Anambra State governor also noted, that there was no merit in the criticism that the President did not attach portfolios to the names of the nominees.

He said, “The constitution does not say you must attach portfolio. The constitution just prescribed that those to be appointed as ministers must have qualifications that will enable them to be members of the House of Representatives.”

“That is the minimum and you know that the age of the House of Representatives is lower than that of the Senate and the education qualifications as enshrined in the constitution.”

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