http://www.9janotebook..com.ng/2015/10/ministerial-list-all-eyes-on-saraki-led.html

By Temidayo Akinsuyi

LAGOS

“On corruption, there will be no confusion as to where I stand. Corruption will have no place and the corrupt will not be appointed into my administration – President Muhammadu Buhari (Chatham House)

Today, Tuesday October 6 2015, all attention will focus on the Nigerian Senate under the leadership of Abubakar Bukola Saraki for the unveiling of the much awaited ministerial list sent by President Muhammadu Buhari for screening and confirmation. Having waited for four months for the president to form his cabinet, many Nigerians who were anxious to know those whom the president deems worthy of serving in his administration were dejected last week when Saraki failed to read the out the names.

Endless Waiting Game
Prior to plenary last Wednesday, the social media was awash with rumours that the president has submitted the list to the Senate president through his Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Ita Enang the previous day (Tuesday). It seems the senators themselves are fed up with the endless waiting game and were anxious to know the names on the list. But Saraki, who never informed his colleagues that he is yet to receive the list proceeded with the day’s business without announcing any correspondences from the president.

The senators in the opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) could no longer endure the endless wait , and this may have prompted its Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, to seek clarification on why the ministerial list which should be the primary function of the Senate on the day was not given the much needed attention it deserved.

Akpabio, who represents Akwa Ibom North West, raised a point of order, under matter of urgent importance, to find out why the Senate President had not announced the President’s letter containing ministerial nominees. The immediate past governor of Akwa Ibom state noted that the nation’s newspapers in the last couple of weeks, had been awash with stories of ministerial appointments by the President. Also reminding his colleagues of the anxiety amongst Nigerians , he asked the Senate President why he received the list from President Buhari and was hiding it from his colleagues.
As Saraki attempted to answer Akpabio’s question, Deputy Senate Leader, Ibn Bala Na’Allah, APC, Kebbi South, raised another point of order, where he explained that the day was still young, saying since the day’s session ends by 12:30pm, there was still the hope that the President would transmit the list of ministerial nominees to the Upper Chamber before the close of business. He also said since the day ends by 12 midnight, there was still hope that the list could come before the time. But Saraki could not provide answer, as he over-ruled Akpabio, asking that the next item in the day’s agenda be introduced. And so, the waiting game continues.

While addressing newsmen after the day’s plenary, Senate spokesperson, Dino Melaye, disclosed that the Senate was yet to receive the much-anticipated ministerial list from the President. According to him, as soon as the Senate gets the list, it would be made public through the media.
“We are still waiting for the ministerial list from the President. I want to advise that there is no need for agitation because September expires by midnight and the office of the Senate President is open,” Melaye said.

However, speaking in a chat with Daily Independent, Special Adviser (Media and Publicity) to the President , Femi Adesina, said the September deadline given by the President was still in order since it was not yet midnight. “Yes, I agree that today is the last day of September and the President promised to make the list available in September. But there is no cause for alarm since the day is not yet over. September will come to an end by 11:59pm,” he said

Finally, the List!

The development further heightened the apprehension amongst Nigerians. Since there is no official pronouncement from both the presidency and the Senate, many began to read meanings into the event that unfolded at the Senate. To the president’s avowed critics, the President has failed to fulfill his promise of naming his ministers before the end of September as promised, while to the president’s loyalists, the list is already with Saraki but was keeping it so as to delay it till October in order to create an impression that the president has failed to fulfill his promise to Nigerians that he will name his ministers not later than September 30.

Saraki later doused the tension generated by the whereabout of the list when he announced at about 5.20 pm that he has received the list from President Buhari. In his twitter handle, the Senate president twitted that the ministerial list was presented to him by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Senate, Senator Ita Enang in the company of the Chief of Staff to the President Abba Kyari. According to the Saraki’s twitter handle, “I can now confirm that I just received the list of Ministerial nominees”.
Waiting For Formal Announcement
Having crossed the first hurdle, Nigerians were eager to know if Saraki will read the list, even though the day’s plenary is over. Saraki, however said he would not open the envelope containing the list until Tuesday October 6 . A statement by the Special Adviser to the Senate President on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, said the list was submitted in a sealed envelope, and that his principla would only open it before the Senate plenary on October 6. He, however, said that the Presidency was free to reveal the identities of those on the list to Nigerians if it desires to do so..

“Senate President, Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki this evening received the list of Ministerial nominees sent to the Senate for screening by President Muhammadu Buhari. The list was submitted in a sealed envelope by Chief of Staff to the President, Alhaji Abba Kyari and Senator Ita Enang, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Legislative Matters (Senate). Dr. Saraki has, following the tradition of the Senate, decided that the envelope will remain sealed till Tuesday October 6, when during the plenary sitting of the Upper legislative chamber, it will be opened and the list read to Senators.”

“The Senate President won’t make the list public until October 6 when the lawmakers resume. The Presidency is at liberty to announce to Nigerians the names on the list it has forwarded to the National Assembly,” he said.
In his response as to whether the Presidency would reveal the names in the event that the Senate was still holding onto it, Special Adviser (Media and Publicity) to the president, Femi Adesina, said the presidency will not unveil the identities of the ministerial nominees. He said that the norm was that the president would forward the list to the Senate President, who would in turn read out the names on the floor of the Senate.
“The Presidency will not read out the names. The tradition has always been that the President will forward the names to the Senate President. He is the one that will now read it to the House,” he said.


Addressing the nation, a day after the list was submitted, President Buhari in his Independence broadcast to the nation gave reasons for the long delay in announcing the names of the would-be ministers. He also assured Nigerians that there was no cause for anxiety and that the administration seeks to operate “methodically and properly.”

According to him, “we received the handing over notes from the outgoing government only four days before taking over. Consequently, the Joda Transition Committee submitted its Report on the reorganisation of Federal Government structure after studying the hand over notes. It would have been haphazardous to announce ministers when the government had not finalised the number of ministries to optimally carry the burden of governance.”

“The wait is over, he assured, with the submission of the first set of names for ministerial nominees for confirmation to the Senate, assuring that “subsequent lists will be forwarded in due course. “Impatience is not a virtue. Order is more vital than speed. Careful and deliberate decisions after consultations get far better results. And better results for our country is what the APC government for change is all about,” Buhari counseled.

Speculated Names Everywhere

The refusal of the Presidency and Senate to reveal the identities of those on the list soon gave rise to speculations as newspapers began to publish names of likely nominees based on what was termed ‘information from reliable, credible and authoritative sources’ within the APC and presidency. So far, 21 names are being touted as the authentic nominees. They are Dr. Chris Ngige (Anambra), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Babatunde Fashola (Lagos), Abdurrahman Dambazau (rtd) (Kano), Aisha AlHassan (Taraba), Ogbonaya Onu (Ebonyi), Kemi Adeosun (Ogun) , Abubakar Malami SAN (Kebbi), Senator Sirika Hadi (Katsina) and Barrister Adebayo Shittu (Oyo).

Others are Sulaiman Adamu (Jigawa), Solomon Dalong (Plateau), Ibe Kachikwu (Delta), Osagie Ehanire (Edo), Lai Mohammed (Kwara), Udoma Udo-Udoma (Akwa Ibom), Ahmed Isa Ibeto (Niger), Ibrahim Jibri, Audu Ogbeh (Benue) and Amina Mohammed (Gombe).
APC, Presidency, Saraki disown speculative names

However the Presidency, and Senate President and the party have all distanced themselves from the list, urging Nigerians to hold their breath until today when names would be officially unveiled. When contacted, Saraki’s media aide Yusuf Olaniyonu, swore that neither Saraki nor his office could have released the list, since he is to officially break the seal on the President’s letter before his colleagues, when the upper chamber resumes for plenary on Tuesday as is the tradition of the hallowed chamber.

He told one of correspondents: “If you don’t believe me, you may also join them (the fray of those flying kites) and add more names to your own list.”

Also, Special Adviser to the President on Media, Femi Adesina, distanced the Presidency from the list submitted to the Senate President on Wednesday. He told Daily Independent: “Until the Senate President unveils the list, no one can claim to have seen it,” he said.

For him, “those who shared it could as well tell where they got it from. But as I said, we will know the list on Tuesday when the Senate President will unveil it.”
On the basis for the selection process, he said: “The president himself has spoken about those he wanted as ministers. So I think that suffices.”
From the APC, Nigerians should not accept the list being bandied around in the media in its entirety but be patient for the official announcement by the Senate. The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, in an interview with Daily Independent described as mere speculations, the names published in the media. His words: “Unfortunately, the Senate is yet to read the list; so whatever you read anywhere is mere speculation. Not until the Senate president reads out the list on Tuesday, it will be too premature for anybody to start making a comment on whom and who is on the list.

Reacting to the speculated names of possible ministers, National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin said Buhari did not surprise anyone. He said Buhari should have submitted the names of ministerial nominees at Eagle Square on May 29, adding that the four months wait had come to nothing as there were no exciting names on the list.

“There is no excitement or surprise in the list. They are mostly run of the mill people that do not warrant waiting four months to have. Those names could have been submitted at Eagles square on May 29.”

As the Senate resumes today, one thing is certain; Nigerians may be disappointed if the names speculated in the media are actually the same on the list. Having waited this long, some political analysts are of the opinion that the suspense generated by the wait will be worthless if the same names that were being speculated for the past three months in the media are the same that will be read at the floor of the Senate. But some are also of the opinion that those who have bandied the names of the would-be ministers may be in for a shocker. The intrigues, will however laid to rest in a matter of hours.

Am glued to my TV

fashola - works fayemi - defence Audu ogbeh - agriculture Na those ones CIA tell me for now