Sunday Aborisade

Members of the Senate will begin their eight-week annual recess this month even if President Muhammadu Buhari fails to submit the list of his ministerial nominees for their consideration and approval.

Investigations by our correspondent at the upper legislative chamber on Friday revealed that the senators were not really anxious about the list.

There are also indications that the red chamber will not delay the commencement of their recess on July 26 because of the list.

Buhari has yet to constitute his cabinet more than four months after winning the February 23 presidential election.

Most of the senators, who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity, lamented Buhari’s administrative style.

They, however, said the President’s failure to unveil his ministerial nominees for confirmation would not stop them from proceeding on their annual recess.

A senator from the South-East said, “What I know is that we will ensure proper screening of all the nominees and we won’t allow anybody to rush us.

“The best time to attend to the list is now, not when we would have a few days left to proceed on recess.”

A female senator also admitted that the President was unnecessarily delaying the list.

She said, “The President was re-elected. Nobody expects that Nigerians would wait for four months before he would unveil his proposed cabinet members.”

Asked if the development would not delay their annual recess, the Senator said, “The best thing is for the President to send the list this week, because the legislature has its own calendar.”

However, the Chairman, Senate Ad hoc Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Adedayo Adeyeye, said the red chamber would consider the list whenever it was submitted by the President.

He told our correspondent on Friday that the 9th Senate would always work in the interest of Nigerians and might not hesitate to break its recess to consider the list if it was submitted during the vacation.

Adeyeye said, “It is the prerogative of the President to choose the time he will submit the list of ministers and it is the duty of the Senate to screen and approve the nominees to appointed.

“If the President submits the list before we proceed on recess later this month, we will give it necessary consideration.

“If on the other hand he submits it when we are already on recess, it is not unusual to recall senators from break in the overriding national interest.

“We could break the recess to consider the list whenever it is sent. Whatever it is, we are ready.”

Source:- Punchng