Former Rivers state governor, Rotimi Amaechi, finally underwent his ministerial screening on Thursday, October 22.
While the success of his screening is still dependent on confirmation, we examine his outing and spotlight the winners and losers of the eventful day.
WINNERS
Rotimi Amaechi
He kept his calm, composure and wry smile during the screening process. Not even the back and forth between Senators Ali Ndume and Godswill Akpabio seemed to sway him. Although he wasn’t asked any hard-hitting question by the All Progressives Congress Senators, he largely had a successful session in the hallowed chambers.
Senator Gbenga Ashafa
While a senator asked Rotimi Amaechi, a ‘basic arithmetic’ question and another was seeking tips on how to handle political enemies, Gbenga Ashafa was the only Senator with an intelligent question. He asked Amaechi to speak about the alleged Rivers ‘indictment’.
Senate President, Bukola Saraki
His colleagues, the Majority and Minority leader of the Senate, Ali Ndume and Godswill Akpabio, attempted to turn the red chamber to an animal farm, but Bukola Saraki, calmed the storm and put the situation under control.
LOSERS
Sen. Godswill Akpabio
Senator Godswill Akpabio, was recently a back-to-back visitor of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. So it’s somewhat understandable that he’d pull a show of force in the Senate- his new comfort zone.
Akpabio led his fellow Peoples Democratic Party senators, to abstain from questioning Amaechi.
Many will agree that their refusal to participate in Amaechi’s screening put a downer on the process. Nigerians were disappointed because they tuned-in for a show, and the PDP simply failed to act.
Gov. Nyesom Wike
Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike, must be smarting from the fact that the ministerial screening of Amaechi eventually took place, after series of delays. The petitions submitted by Rivers state senators, against Amaechi’s nomination forced the Senate to push-forward but it failed to stop Amaechi from getting screened.
The 108 Senators
Save for Gbenga Ashafa, no senator asked an pertinent/salient question from Amaechi during his ministerial screening.
While Senator Suleiman Nazif asked Amaechi to advice upcoming politicians and to harp on how he has survived many political battles.
Senator Alasoadura simply said: “I want to know if you actually believe that figure 19 is greater than figure 16.”
