13th October, 2015
Contrary to expectations, the screening of former Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi and Amina Mohammed, former senior special assistant to the President on Millennium Development Goals, two candidates whose presence on President Muhammadu Buhari’s ministerial list generated controversy at the upper chamber of National Assembly on Tuesday may not be rancorous.
The three senators representing Rivers State – Olaka Nwogu, George Sekibo and Osinakachukwu Ideozu had last Wednesday submitted a petition written by a non-governmental organization against Ameachi’s confirmation, alleging that he misappropriated N70 billion belonging to Rivers as the state chief executive of the state.
The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, had directed that the petition which generated uproar from APC senators should be submitted to the Ethics Committee for investigation. The Nyesom Wike led Rivers State Government had also in a hurriedly released white paper on the report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry it set up to probe the sale of assets of the State under the former Governor asked Amaechi and others to return the sum of N97 billion.
Also, a senator representing Kaduna South Senatorial District, Danjuma La’ah, submitted a petition last Thursday against the nomination of Amina Mohammed on behalf of Southern Kaduna Coalition, an amalgamation of all the pressure and public interest groups of Southern Kaduna extraction. It was alleged in the petition that the ministerial nominees is not from Kaduna State.
The petition, signed by the group’s coordinator, James Kanyi, read in part, “We have credible evidence to believe that she is an indigene of Gombe State and not Kaduna State as constitutionally required.”
But the plot to stop Amaechi during the screening seemed to have been frustrated on Monday as the Senate Committee on Ethics led by Senator Samuel Anyanwu suspended hearing on the petition submitted against Amaechi on the alleged corrupt dealings. This was after Amaechi who appeared before the Committee told the members that that he has challenged the findings contained in the petition in court. Senator Anyawu ruled afterwards that the Senate is not empowered to look into a case that is already before a law court as such action would amount to subjudice:
“What we are saying is that we have a petition against Amaechi and there is a letter from his lawyer that they have a pending case in the court,” Anyawu told journalists.
He added that in line with Section 7 of the Senate Standing Rules, it would amount to sub-judice to consider the petition. But Anyanwu later said his committee would continue its investigation on other aspects of the petition against Amaechi.
On the other hand, Mohammed told the Committee that contrary to assertions in the media, she was from Gombe State and was nominated as a representative of the State in the ministerial list. “I was brought up in Kaduna. My father lived there but I have no connection with Kaduna State. I am an indigene of Gombe State and the assumption is that I would be representing Gombe in the cabinet,” Mohammed told the Senators.
The Senators then drew the attention of Barrister James Kanyip, one of those who sent the petition to the Senate to the assertion of the nominee. The legal practitioner told the lawmakers that he would withdraw his petition if it is confirmed that Mohammed was not nominated to represent Kaduna State.