Ministerial screening, comic relief – Fani-Kayode blasts Senate

Doosuur Iwambe, Abuja

Former Aviation Minister and the chieftain of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Femi Fani-Kayode, has criticize the process adopted at the just concluded ministerial screening by the ninth Assembly.

Fani-Kayode who faulted the screening of some ministerial nominees by simply asking them to “bow and go” described the whole process as “a display of comic relief.”

In a series of tweets on his social media page, Fani-Kayode disclosed how he was screened for not less than two hours and thirty minutes by the Senate in 2006 when he was nominated by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

‘’When I was nominated to be a Minister by President Olusegun Obasanjo 13 years ago in 2006 I was screened by the Senate for not less than two hours and thirty minutes grueling and very difficult minutes on live television. There was no question that they did not ask me and there was none that I did not answer.

‘’In those days the Senate had great men and powerful intellectuals in its ranks. What we see today in the name of Ministerial screening is a pitiful joke. “Smile, show your teeth, bow and go” is not screening: it is a crass display of comic relief which is far below the Senate.

You will recall that several ministerial nominees were not grilled by the Senate as they enjoyed the privilege of taking a “bow and go”. Some ministerial nominees were former lawmakers.

The ministers-designate who had enjoyed the privilege include: Godswill Akpabio, Gbemisola Saraki, Hadi Sirika, Olorunnimbe Mamora, George Akume, Chris Ngige, Tayo Alasoadura, Emeka Nwajuiba, a serving Reps member and surprisingly, Rotimi Amaechi, a former minister of Transportation.