By Emmanuel Mogbede
A coalition of Civil Society Groups, led by Policy Advocacy and Integrity Network Nigeria, has called on the Senate to ensure due diligence in the final confirmation of ministerial nominees.
Mr Joe Mesele, convener of the network, made the call on Saturday in Abuja when he led representatives of some Civil Society Groups to the National Assembly to protest alleged inconsistency in the credentials of some nominees.
He said the protest was also to protect the integrity of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, adding that the network had vowed to defend good governance and democracy in the country.
He said it was in this direction that it noticed that some ministerial nominees had some questions to answer.
Melese, therefore, called on Civil Society Organisations nationwide and Nigerains generally, to come out and speak against any nominee alledged to have questionable character.
“One of such nominee is from Ondo State; he is alledged to have inconsistency in his documents.
“We are not saying he is the only one with such issue, but we are saying that though most of the nominees had been screened, yet to be confirmed.
“The Senate should not rush before it confirms and give them mandate as ministers, it is important that their integrity is not in question.
“It is our view that the Senate does due diligence in clearing and confirming these nominees and any other that may have such issue,” Melese said.
He added that ministeral nominees with certificate related issues needed to go through proper investigation and given a certificate of clean records to avoid putting our democracy at stake.
He stressed that the integrity of all the nominees must be proved before they became members of the cabinet, adding that things as common as NYSC certificate and their credentials should not be an issue.
He maintained that while President Bola Tinubu had done his part by nominating the nominees, it was now left to the Senate as representatives of the people to do due diligence on them.
According to Melese, it is not all the nominees that must pass through screening, adding that those with questionable characters should be dropped.
This, he said, was critical to give room for other young Nigerains who were ready to key into Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda to deliver democracy dividends to Nigerains.
“It is the duty of CSOs to be up and doing and to support President Tinubu and the country generally at this time; Nigeria is a collective project and we all must be part of it.
“Any nominee with questionable character must be brought out to the open and possibly dropped,” Melese stressed.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that President Tinubu had on July 27, presented the first batch of his ministerial nominees to the Senate for confirmation and approval.
Some of the nominees include: Abubakar Momoh, Yusuf Tukur, Ahmed Dangiwa, Hannatu Musawa Chief Uche Nnaji, Dr Berta Edu, Dr Dorris Uzoka, David Umahi, former Rivers Governor, Nyesom Wike and Badaru Abubakar.
Others are former Kaduna State Governor, Nasiru El-Rufai; Ekperipe Ekpo, Nkiru Onyeojiocha, Olubunmi Ojo, Stella Okotette, Uju Ohaneye, Bello Muhammad, Dele Alake, Lateef Fagbemi, Muhammad Idris and Olawale Edu. (NAN)
