Ministerial screening: We can’t compel Jonathan - Senate

[emezico]

In spite of calls by senators for President Goodluck Jonathan to attach portfolios to the nomination of ministers when sending the names for screening, the President will not be compelled to do so when he forwards the names to the Senate.

Former Deputy Leader of the Senate, Victor Ndoma-Egba, who spoke to our correspondent on Tuesday on the ministerial list, stated that the upper chamber would not cut short its vacation because of the ministerial list

He explained that it was within the President's powers to appoint ministers, while the Senate screens them.

According to him, it is good practice to attach the portfolios of the ministers so that during the screening exercise, the nominee will be tested against the task he is expected to perform when confirmed.

"It will be good to have the portfolios attached to the list of nominees, but we cannot compel the President to do so because he is not under any obligation," Ndoma-Egba said.

Senators at the Senate's valedictory session indicated the need to employ stiffer screening measures for ministerial nominees and called for the inclusion of the portfolios of the ministerial nominees's list.

They had criticised a situation where a minister was asked questions on topical and general issues, but would be appointed to an office he had no competence to fill after he had been confirmed by the Senate.

On the possibility of an emergency session of the Senate in case of a submission of the ministerial list by the President, Ndoma-Egba noted that a recall from the break was unlikely.

He explained that the Senate was at the moment not prepared for the cost of recalling senators for any assignment when it would resume legislative business in less than two weeks.

"We don't have the list of ministers yet and we don't know when it will be sent. It is unlikely, I don't think we will be prepared for the cost implication. We will be back in a short time and a recall is not necessary," he said.

Meanwhile, there were indications on Tuesday that the State Security Service had concluded the screening of ministerial and ambassadorial nominees.

Investigations by our correspondents in Abuja showed that three nominees were picked from each of the 36 states in the country.


Source: The Punch