Udoma, Ogbe, Onu get easy ride as Senators grill Fayemi, Ehanire

In from Timothy Enietan-Matthews (Nation’s capital) … .
It was a smooth sail for Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, Chief Audu Ogbe and Dr. Ogbonanya Onu but a grilling session for a former governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi and Dr. Osagie Ohaneren as the Nigerian Senate kick started the screening of ministerial nominees of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Senator Udoma, who was the first to be screened, was asked by Senate President, Bukola Saraki, to tell the lawmakers what he has been up to since he left the Senate.

Udoma informed the lawmakers that he has not been doing much of politics but concentrated more on his legal practice and other business concerns.

Udoma, whose response to a question from the Senate President sounded satisfactory to the senators, was asked to take a bow and go. This was supported by Senator Godswill Akpabio, who described Udoma as a man of integrity.

For Fayemi, it was a grilling session as Senators fired him questions from all angles.

The Senate Chief Whip, Shola Adeyeye fired the first salvo, asking Fayemi to clear the air of several allegations on financial recklessness and huge debt burden he left behind when he left office as governor.

Fayemi explained that he met a lot on ground in terms of debt and that even with the N25 billion he took from the capital market, he left only N18 billion in debt. On the controversial government house he built, he described it as a legacy project and a multi purpose building that will remain a pride to the Ekiti people.

On Senator Shehu Sani’s assertion that he escaped from Nigeria through unconventional border during the Abacha regime, Fayemi said he was unaware of any such border.

After answering some more questions from Senators Ajayi Borofice and George Sekibo, Fayemi was asked to take a bow and go.

Chief Audu Ogbe, a minister in the second republic and a former National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, who came in after Fayemi, in his opening remark, said emphatically that he was not in the ministerial list to bring anything new but because President Buhari deemed it fit to have him in his cabinet.

Answering a question on why people defect from one party to the other, Ogbe said it was a normal phenomenon especially in an emerging democracy. According to him, people get frustrated and angry over how political parties are run, especially when the ruling party is handed over to the President.

Ogbe, who advocated for more investment in Agriculture and establishment of extension services in every local government to train farmers, however refused to answer question on whether he was forced out at gun point as PDP chairman. He was asked to take a bow and go.

After Ogbe, Dr. Ogbonanya Onu took the stand but just like Udoma, he had a smooth sail.

In answer to a question on the power sector, Onu said there was a need to pay more attention to the sector, insisting that there is need to take a cue from developed countries on how they are able to generate enough power for their people.

Onu linked improved industrial production and employment generation to the power sector.

Senator Kabiru Gaya from Kano State, asked his colleagues to allow Onu take a bow and go. This was seconded and Onu took a bow and left.

Dr. Osagie Ohaneren, a German trained medical doctor and a nominee from Edo State, harped on the need to overhaul the training curriculum of health workers, insisting there is a crisis of confidence in the sector. He also harped on the attitude of health workers, the need for modern equipment and the issue of corruption in the health sector.

These problems, Ohaneren said must be tackled for the sector to move on.

Impressed by his performance, the nominee was asked to take a bow and go.

The Senate, in a bid to ensure that all the ten nominees slated for screening for the day were taken, announced the extension of plenary beyond the normal 2pm adjournment time.

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