El-Rufai, Okotete, Danladi’s Confirmation On Hold As Senate Confirms 45 Nominees

The Senate late Monday evening confirmed 45 ministerial nominees out of 48 forwarded to it for confirmation by President Bola Tinubu in three batches.

Three of the nominees were, however, not confirmed over security concerns. They are Nasir El-Rufai from Kaduna, Stella Okotete from Delta State and Abubakar Sani Danladi from Taraba State.

Earlier on Monday, there was an uproar in the Senate after the Senate Minority Whip, Senator Darlington Nwokocha (LP, Abia Central), raised an issue against Keyamo, a ministerial nominee from Delta State, when he appeared for screening.

Nwokocha had accused Keyamo of disrespecting the 9th National Assembly and accusing the last Assembly of being corrupt when he was summoned to give explanation on the implementation of the special works programme under his purview as a Minister in the last Buhari administration.

The sum of N52 billion was allocated for the scheme, which was coordinated by the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) under the supervision of Keyamo as the Minister of State for Labour and Employment.

The programme was targeted at employing 1,000 unskilled youths in each of the 774 LGAs of the country for three months.

The beneficiaries were expected to engage in public service works and receive a monthly stipend of N20,000 for three months.

Nwokocha drew the attention of the Senate to how Keyamo ignored the Senate when he was asked to give explanation on the implementation of the programme.

He, therefore, moved a motion that the Senate suspend the screening of Keyamo.

His motion was seconded by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (APGA, Abia-South).

Akpabio thereafter subjected the motion to a voice vote but the legislators were divided on the matter.

He, therefore, endorsed the point of order from Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, asking the red chamber to go into closed-door session to resolve the issue.

Speaking after the Senate resumed from closed session, Keyamo said: “I apologise and the apology is without reservation.”

He said the entire register of the “beneficiaries of the special public works and their details, including their account numbers and BVNs are with the NDE.”

Senator Godiya Akwashiki (SDP, Nasarawa South) urged his colleagues to accept Keyamo’s apology.

Consequently, Senator Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South) moved a motion that the Senate do accept apology and allow Keyamo to take his leave.

Ndume’s motion was seconded by Senator Barinada Mpigi (PDP, Rivers). Senate President Akpabio, therefore, asked the nominee to take a ‘bow and go’.

Meanwhile, the Senate went on a short recess afterwhich it resumed with the confirmation hearing of the ministerial nominees having spent a whole week screening the 48 nominees starting from Monday, July 31, 2023 up till this Monday, August 7, 2023.

The nominees confirmed as Ministers are as follows except three of them – Nasir El-Rufai, Stella Okotete and Abubakar Sani Danladi, whom according to the Senate President were awaiting “security clearance”: