Nigeria: Ministerial Nominees – Lobbyists Offer Senators Bribe to Disqualify Candidates – Adeyemi

Daily Independent (Lagos)

Adetutu Folasade-Koyi And Rotimi Akinwumi

27 June 2011

Abuja — Senator Smart Adeyemi, a former journalist, cried out on Monday that millions of Naira in sacks of Ghana-must-gobags is being offered to him and other lawmakers to confirm or disqualify Ministerial nominees in Abuja, Nigeria’s centre of sleaze, where billionaires emerge overnight freeloading on the national treasury through bribes.

With the shadow of Boko Haram everywhere in the city, the Senate resumes today amid tight security – and a cloud of over the Minority Leader – but with the hope of screening the Ministerial nominees this week to get the new federal cabinet off the ground.

Senate President David Mark received a list of 30 nominees from President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday.

Twelve were Ministers in the last administration, among them Emeka Nwogu (Labour and Productivity), Rukayat Rufa’i (Education), Mohammed Adoke (Attorney General and Justice Minister), and Shamsudeen Usman (National Planning).

Mark would read out the names at plenary today and a copy of the list together with each person’s curriculum vitae (CV) would be circulated to Senators ahead of the interviews.

However, Adeyemi lamented that interest groups are already mounting pressure on, and dangling millions of Naira before, outspoken Senators to embarrass some nominees during questioning, in order to get them disqualified.

He told a press conference that the dirty deal is not limited to the political adversaries of the nominees but also involves multi-national companies which do not want the return of old Ministers who insisted on the implementation of government policies.

His words: “We have been under intense pressure by lobbyists and political mercenaries to stop some nominees from being cleared or to disqualify some nominees by asking questions to embarrass them and stop them.

“They have given many of us sleepless nights with offer of millions of Naira so as to discredit some nominees. But to some of us, this will not in anyway affect the screening.”

Adeyemi said he and the majority of Senators he knows believe in President Goodluck Jonathan’s transformation programme and that “will not allow any of us to be used.”

He advised those prepared to spend millions to disqualify nominees or the transformation agenda to invest their money in charity work and leave the Senate alone.

“Many of us will be very much at alert to make sure that money is not allowed to play any role in this screening exercise. We have been told that some people should not be allowed to pass through the screening simply because they effected or carried out reforms that will empower Nigeria rather than foreign interests.

“In this crusade are some multi-national companies and their agents who feel that some re-nominated Ministers, who were part and parcel of the reform programme and agenda aimed at empowering Nigerians as regards local content in industrialisation, should be stopped in order to kill such reforms.

“Those of us perceived to be radical will not make ourselves available for embarrassing or stopping any nominee, except of course where such nominees display incompetence. To us as legislators, national interest come first not foreign interest.”

Adeyemi added that some for Ministers like Dieziani Alison-Madueke (Petroleum), and a few others will not find it difficult passing the interview because they did well in their jobs in the last administration and remain key to the attainment of Jonathan’s vision for the country.

He said Jonathan’s pledge of a transformation agenda during the electioneering should be given the benefit of the doubt.

“There is no gainsaying the fact that there is need for total reforms in the transportation, oil and gas, housing, power, and other sectors which require highly intelligent and courageous Ministers – and, of course, some would be retained for continuity.

There was a ring of heavy security around the National Assembly (NASS) on Monday, with vehicles not allowed to enter the complex through the Secretariat and Head of Service routes.

Checks were conducted on vehicles coming through the two routes and those cleared by a policeman checking for bombs are allowed to go in.

At the last gate to the car parks in the complex, motorists showed valid identification cards before being allowed to proceed.

Senators and members of the House of Representatives will come into the White House Complex which houses the two Chambers through the Presidential gate from the Aso Rock axis.

Mark inspected the Chamber accompanied by Senate Clerk Ben Efeture, his Deputy, Lawal Duduyemi, and other senior NASS staff.

Mark asked Efeture why the seats had not been tagged with names, then inspected and approved the seating arrangement, and left off.

By 3.00 p.m., the name of Victor Ndoma-Egba had been tagged as the Senate Leader, making him the number three man in the Chamber after Mark and Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu.

In the Senate organogram, former Benue State Governor, George Akume, who was tipped by the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) as the Minority Leader, was assigned another seat.

His name was attached to the seat of Minority Whip.

The only PDP Senator from the South West, Hosea Agboola (Oyo), a freshman, is slated to occupy the seat of Majority Whip, reportedly earlier allotted to Hayatu Gwarzo, a fourth-term Senator like Mark.

Gwarzo is from Kano in the North West.

The North East has also come up short as Ali Ndume (Borno) is assigned the Deputy Majority Leader seat, contrary to reports that the zone would get the Senate Leader slot.

No name was assigned to the seat of Minority Leader on Monday.

It was not the only seat without a name tag. The positions of Deputy Minority Leader and Deputy Minority Whip were also vacant.

Mark disclosed that the Senate may discuss the Boko Haram problem if it is a “matter of urgent national importance.”

He said a review of the federal revenue sharing formula being canvassed by Governors must be done within the context of Constitution amendment.

Below is the exchange between Mark and reporters:

Reporters: You just carried out an inspection of the Senate, are we ready for sitting?

Mark: We are, are there no seats in the Chamber? There are seats there, all we need is where to sit down, but we are tidying it up for tomorrow’s (today’s) session.

Are you satisfied?

It is ok.

What are we expecting tomorrow?

We are expecting to sit.

In terms of communications from the President?

Well, I am sure he will send some list to us, (the) Ministerial list. I hope he sends it tomorrow (today).

Is there a division between the PDP (Peoples Democratic Party) and the Senate on the leadership?

Are you a member of the PDP? You cannot speak for us as a party. There is no division.

Are we expecting to get the full list of principal officers tomorrow (today)?

I think so; yes. We should.

Which zone is producing the Senate leader?

But where did you say the division is coming from? If you do know the zone producing the Senate Leader, how did you know there is division? I do not know about that. That is not my understanding of what is happening.

Are you debating the Boko Haram menace tomorrow (today)?

If it is matter of urgent national importance, it will be discussed.

How about Governors’ stand on the new minimum wage?

Why do you not allow me to do what is legislative. Am I a Governor?

Are you worried about Boko Haram?

I am not worried by anything. I am just worried by the way we are going to move forward as fast as possible, and I am sure you are also worried about that.

How about a review of the existing revenue formula?

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