In view of the opposition of the senators of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the screening of former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi, Senate leader Ali Ndume has declared that the PDP lawmakers cannot stop Amaechi’s screening.

It could be recalled that the screening of Amaechi has been deferred thrice by the Senate because of the stern opposition of the PDP senators who have vowed to oppose his screening.

Speaking to Senate Correspondents yesterday, Senator Ndume insisted that the PDP senators cannot disqualify Amaechi based on trivialities, adding that it must be based on constitutionality.

According to him, the 8th Senate belongs to the APC and PDP senators are in the minority.

He said, “We are practising democracy in a changed environment. That is to allow the minorities to have their say. But you know that the majority will always have its way.”

“We have 58 senators, the Senate president excluded, and they have 48 senators. Amaechi is an APC candidate and the constitution is very clear. Until there is conviction, you are considered innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt by a competent court of law.”

Senate Receives Petition Against Adewole’s Nomination

The Senate yesterday received a petition against the nomination of Professor Isaac Adewole as minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The petition, which was signed by Prof A. O. Akanni on behalf of the Committee of Concerned Professors, University of Ibadan, claimed that there are pending allegations of several corrupt practices against Prof Adewole in the public domain.

According to them, the pending allegations should be investigated before the end of his tenure as vice chancellor on November 30, 2015 and particularly before he can be considered for the exalted position of minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

I Am My Own Man – Onwuka

The ministerial nominee from Imo, Prof Anthony Onwuka, yesterday said he is his own man and refuted all allegations levelled against him yesterday when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges.

The ministerial nominee on Tuesday suffered a setback when a senator from his state, Nneji Achonu Athanasius (PDP, Imo North), submitted over 10 petitions against him.

Reacting to a question posed to him by the committee on whether it is morally right for him to be the in-law of the governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, and from the same senatorial zone, he insisted that he is his own man and has never been swayed or persuaded to do anything against his will.