#MinisterialScreening-Nominees being screened by senate

The screening of ministerial nominees is on now ...Those screened so far are 6

Kayode Fayemi

Chief Audu Obe

 Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu

 Dr Osagie Ehanire

 Lieutenant General Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau

Their portfolios have not yet been revealed but the senators are asking questions based on the nominees CV's to have an idea what ministry they are being nominated for . 

Dr Osagie Ehanire responding to questions on how he intends to stem Health Workers strikes and make healthcare affordable

From my experience in the public and private health sector,I confirm there is a loss of confidence in the health sector .When I was abroad, I had the incidence of treating Nigerians who came abroad some for simple operations.

I propose areal examination of the entire curriculum of doctors down to community health workers

We are short of equipment which needs to be brought and installed in hospitals.There is a problem with management.Hospitals need to be managed better ..I do not assume the health sector is exempted from corruption/

The attitude of actors in the health sector is also discouraging .Many people do not get the dignity and respect they expect when they visit hospitals...

I would propose a reorientation of health workers on how to treat patients with respect .

The health insurance has alot of problems and is still in the infancy.Community health insurance is being studied right now .

Senator Murray Bruce,the training aspect is what I would say .Doctors have to check and crosscheck each others diagnosis.

 On traditional medicine 

I do think traditionalists have alot to contribute.Quinine was extracted from native medicine in South America.I believe traditional medicine has to be better regulated .Because there is a serous danger in allowing people who have not had experience to treat people.

Helath workers strikes

Is insufficient engagement of young resident doctors.They should be better engaged for them to understand problems the government faces.We don't have so much resources as they would like to be accrued to them. Agreements reached with this doctors should be adhered too,or reasons given.

During former Ekiti State governor,Kayode Fayemi's screening, while responding to questions about the alleged N50m bed he built in the Ekiti state government house , the former governor said the government house he met was a 2 bedroom apartment government house and so decided to build a befitting government house.

"I challenge anybody who claims that I bought a bed for N50 million to prove it. Anyone one who knows me personally knows that I am not given to frivolities. Not even a bed of N1.5 million is there. I left everything behind when I left. All I did was to build a befitting government house for the state.”

During Chief Audu Obe's screening ,he was asked since he was minister in 1983, what does he intend to bring to the table now in line with change..He said 

Since I left here, I have been in the school of life, traveling round the world,looking at issues of Agriculture and why we fail.First, we have the worst seed to plant in comparison to others.A cow in Nigeria gives one litre of milk a day and a cow in Zimbabwe gives 15 litres a day and in Europe, 40 litres a day .We are in danger, I don't know how many of us receive text mgs of account numbers everyday 

We must have extension centers.We spend almost 22 billion naira year importing food .

Another issue affecting Agric is interest rates,China 6/12percent,Nigeria 35percent.Unless you are producing cocaine how do you invest at 35 percent and make profit .?

 Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu (Former governor Old Abia State) On questions on how electricity can be made steady and unemployment can be tackled,he said 

One reason we have not done so well in power is because we allow crude oil and natural gas to keep generating the same revenue.We have to look at developed countries who diversified power generation.In Nigeria,we rely on hydro and natural gas.In Tanzania, they have shut down their hydro-generating facilities because of inadequate rainfall. We have abundance of coal,if we can utilize coal for power generation.Nigerian coal is one of the best in the world because the sulfur content is low ,Use coal to produce power .

We need to produce or manufacture .We need enough power to do so,.For example, you can it solve the problem of unemployment unless you increase production.There was a time in Nigeria we exported rice.But recently,we were spending as much as one billion naira a day importing rice.

So in terms of unemployment,we need to produce more than we are doing now.

 Do you think the non inclusion of Nigerian youths by Buhari in the ministerial list is in order

I haven't seen the last batch.So please allow me not to answer this until I see the balance.I only saw the first 21names.

Would keep updating this post...

Lieutenant General Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau speaking on Defence

On Boko Haram

In terms of allowances, the UN allowance is part of the reimbursement the UN pays to countries for contributing soldiers .They have a standard.One thousand naira allowance for soldiers fighting Boko Haram is low and needs to be reviewed for being exposed to such danger .

Crises between farmers and Fulani Herdsmen

This conflict affects activities of both,food production.Fundamentally there is need to look at the real issues.I think the issue we need to tackle is ecological.The that coming from the climate .We have a threat of desertification from the north and erosion from the south.These threats are pushing people to the center and the land is becoming smaller for the population concentrating at the center.

It is necessary to recapture out land eaten by desert .

We have to identify particular grazing lands which we plan to settle cattle herders

Most of the river basin are being farmed.Those are the paths created long ago where these cattle herders do their grazing.The danger is sometimes it takes a religious tone.