Senate suspends screening of Prof Utsev, others, give strong reasons

The screening of ministerial nominees by the Senate was put on hold yesterday, as at least three nominees faced serious allegations of age forgery and falsification, among other concerns. The Senate, in its exercise, listed 14 nominees on the order paper, but only four were successfully screened, while seven were asked to take a bow and leave without rigorous questioning.

Prominent personalities, such as the immediate past governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, and two-term members of the House of Representatives, Abubakar Momoh and Nkiru Onyejeocha, were among those who were given a pass without intense scrutiny.

However, the screening process encountered a roadblock for three nominees, including Prof. Joseph Utsev, the current Rector of Federal Polytechnic, Wannune. It came to light that Utsev’s resume claimed that he was born in 1980 and completed his primary education by the age of nine in 1989, raising eyebrows among senators who questioned the possibility of being in primary school at the age of three.

Senator Abubakar Sani Danladi from Taraba and Bello Mohammed from Sokoto were also required to clarify issues. Senator Danladi had been alleged to have been banned by the Supreme Court from holding public office for ten years, while Bello Mohammed’s case revolved around his secondary school leaving certificate.

Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, assured that the issues concerning the three nominees would be further examined during the confirmation stage.

Meanwhile, three other nominees, Arch. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa from Katsina State, Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji from Enugu State, and Stella Erhuvwuoghene Okotete from Delta State, did not undergo screening as their names were on the Order Paper but were not called upon during the process.

The screening process began at 1:32 pm and continued for nearly five hours, with Abubakar Momoh being the first to appear before the Senate. Notably, the former governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, confidently presented himself as a performer and expressed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s faith in nominating him as a minister. Despite resistance from some opposition party senators, Wike was asked to take a bow and leave.

Senator Abubakar Kyari, the acting National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and a former senator, was also granted a pass during the screening.

The Senate’s decision to put some nominees on hold due to serious allegations has caused a stir, and Nigerians await further developments as the confirmation process unfolds.

The Senate is expected to take appropriate actions regarding the nominees with unresolved issues as the nation looks forward to a transparent and accountable cabinet.