Senate Gives Reasons To Screen Rotimi Amaechi Next Week

Contrary to media reports that a court injunction was secured to stop the Senate from screening Rotimi Amaechi as a ministerial nominee, the upper legislature has on Thursday, October 15, said that petitions against the former governor of Rivers state would not stop his screening and confirmation for ministerial position.

•  According to Premium Times report, the Senate spokesman, Dino Melaye, made this known to news men stating that the petition would not be considered since its subject is a matter before a court.

Owing to the inability of the Senate committee on ethics, privileges and public petitions to submit report on the petition against the nominee, the upper chamber had on Wednesday, October 14, postponed the screening of the former governor alongside other ministerial nominees as initially announced.

The major opposition Peoples Democratic Party had forwarded a petition to the Senate which led to the party’s senators from Rivers state stalling his supposed screening earlier scheduled for Wednesday.

Senator Melaye had disclosed to the Nigerian Television Authority before the Senate session ten names scheduled to be screened of which Amaechi’s name was the last among them.

Report also surfaced that one Livingstone Wechie, through his organisation,Integrity Group, had secured a court order from a Rivers State High Court to stop Amaechi’s screening.

But Melaye said that the Senate had a standing rule that matter before a court should not be examined.

He said: “So Amaechi has got no problem.”

The Senate spokesman also explained why the red chamber postponed the ministerial screening to next week saying that some of the nominees were yet to submit their resumè and other documents required of them.

According to Leadership, on the issue of the court order restraining the Senate from screening Amaechi, the All Progressives Congress in a statement issued in Port Harcourt today by its publicity secretary, Chris Finebone, said that the report was false.

 He stated that the ruling APC had searched in all the Federal High Courts across the country and did not find any such proceeding pending or an order before any court in the country.

The ministerial screening exercise which was scheduled to enter day three today, October 15 was suspended and moved to next week Tuesday, October 20.