Eniola Bello Cautions the Nigerian Senators Over Ministerial Nominees

Before the Ayes Have It...

Eni-B, Email: Eniola.Bello@thisdaylive.com

Today, all things being equal, the Senate will continue the screening and possible confirmation of the ministerial nominees expected to help President Muhammadu Buhari run his administration. It is unfortunate that five months into the tenure of the present administration, Buhari’s cabinet is yet to take off resulting from the undue delay in the submission of ministerial list to the Senate for screening and confirmation.  There is no question that the names on the ministerial list, despite all the noise about change, substantially fell short of expectation. Even at that, there was the hope that the Senate would make the screening process rigorous and help ignite the bright sparks in the nominees so Nigerians could assess if they are intellectually, morally and emotionally worthy of serving in the cabinet. Senate President Bukola Saraki and Senate spokesman Dino Melaye had separately raised the hope the screening would be a radical departure from what it used to be in the past by mouthing this much-abused phrase in our political lexicon, “it would not be business as usual”. Both promised that no nominee, irrespective of his or her record in public office, would be asked to “take a bow and go” without being properly grilled. Three weeks into the screening, however, all the promises and boasts of the Senate in this regard have only amounted to something William Shakespeare would rather have described as “all sound and fury, signifying nothing.”

It is unfortunate a considerable number among the nominees were only requested to “take a bow and leave” after their opening remarks, simply on account of having been a lawmaker or party official. The Senate, an institution whose history is traceable to the assembly of elders in the ancient Roman empire, does itself a great deal of injustice if it cannot keep to a simple commitment publicly made to the people. For me, five things stand out as sore thumb in the last two weeks of the screening exercise.

1) Leading questions, stupid!: From the nature of questions asked the nominees, it is doubtful if some senators are aware they are in that chambers for serious intellectual work. It is not for fun that lawmakers are paid some special allowances so they could employ research assistants and some other aides. Were I a senator, I would have studied the CV of every nominee and thereafter got my aides to dig up any available info on them. I would have been armed with facts to ask follow-up questions to unsatisfactory answers, and with enough info to get under a nominee’s skin. It was disheartening to watch no senator asked Babatunde Fashola no follow-up question when despite an effusion of many words he said nothing about his N78 million website and N139 million boreholes. For the whole purpose of subjecting ministerial nominees to answer questions, the way I understand it, is to test their knowledge, their vision, their managerial ability, their intellectual capacity, and their emotional intelligence. It is not enough for senators to use the non-disclosure of portfolios as an excuse for the lack of proper grilling of the nominees. It says little of the senators’ preparation to see them sit like first year students in a lecture hall, as some nominees practically took the stage to deliver lectures on policy and politics. One would have expected a senator to interrupt and bring back to earth, with an intelligent question, a nominee in the lecture mode. What should have been a grilling for every nominee ended up more of a touch and go. There were no sharp riposte, no follow up questions, no inquisition. It was easy, too easy, with soft questions, leading questions, comical questions or no question at all.

2) When life imitates art: The Senate descended to a new low when Khadija Bukar Abba-Ibrahim appeared for screening. Mrs. Abba-Ibrahim is a member, House of Representatives and wife to a former governor of Yobe State, Alhaji Bukar Abba-Ibrahim, now a senator. After her self-introduction, Senate President Saraki only allowed the nominee to be asked a single question partly because she is a member of the House, and partly because her husband is a sitting senator in chambers. Perhaps for comic relief, Saraki gave Senator Abba Ibrahim the floor to ask the only question. A senator sure of his wife’s pedigree would have asked a question that would have made her showcase her intelligence and expertise, the acclaim to which he would have revelled in pride. But what question did the senator ask? “My darling wife, how would you feel if this distinguished Senate should simply ask you to take a bow and leave?” Before the nominee could even think of an answer, the Senate president quickly weighed in and asked if it was the wish of the Senate for Mrs. Abba-Ibrahim to take a bow. Of course, all the senators, giggling like school children, simply chorused, “Ayes”. Had the screening of Mrs. Abba-Ibrahim been performed on stage, it would have been described as a parody - a comically exaggerated imitation of reality. Talk of life now imitating art! It would have been laughable were it not so tragic for our national situation when a serious issue of state is reduced to a couple’s bedroom joke.

3) …And wisdom takes flight: James Madison, a political theorist and the fourth president of the United States once argued, “The use of the Senate is to consist in proceedings with more coolness…and with more wisdom, than the popular branch (House of Representatives).” Edmund Randolph, first US Attorney General and a former Secretary of State, had before Madison, argued that it was necessary for senators to be more deliberative “to restrain… the fury of democracy”. It is doubtful if Senator Obinna Ogba understands the sedateness required in the Senate chambers. It is not for fun that senators address themselves, and are addressed, as “Distinguished”. That title has a long history to when John Dickinson, one of the American founding fathers who died February 14, 1808, said the Senate should “consist of the most distinguished characters, distinguished for their rank in life and their weight of property, and bearing as strong a likeness to the British House of Lords as possible.” Were Senator Ogba fully conversant with the weight of the responsibility the title, “Distinguished”, confers, he should not have lost his head during the Rotimi Amaechi screening and generally behave petulantly like a child denied his favourite toy. Yes, Senate Leader Ali Ndume’s description of opposition senators as, “you people” may be a little offensive, all Ogba needed to have done was bring the attention of the Senate president to it and call for a withdrawal, and an apology.

4) For Amaechi, an anti-climax: The former Rivers State governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi’s appearance for screening Thursday last week ended up an anti-climax. His nomination, and delayed screening, had generated a great deal of tension, and controversy. For obvious reasons, the Rivers State government issued a white paper indicting Amaechi for fraud, following the report of a judicial commission of inquiry. Since he assumed office as governor, the general impression is that Nyesom Wike, on the strength of his utterances and the actions of his government, would stop at nothing to run Amaechi down with a view to preventing his appointment into any position of importance in the Buhari administration. To Wike and his senators from Rivers, it seems Amaechi, from the South-south, cannot be forgiven for working against what has been sold as the interest of the region, in the re-election of former President Goodluck Jonathan. The senators in the opposition PDP (Peoples Democratic Party), in apparent protest against the handling of the report of the Senate committee that investigated the petition against Amaechi, embarked on a question-boycott of the nominee. The strategy played into the hands of the ruling APC (All Progressives Congress) senators who resorted to asking sympathetic questions that allowed the nominee blow his trumpet. Considering the interest generated in the Amaechi screening, both nationally and globally, senators on both divide did themselves dishonour by sacrificing principle for politics. Our democracy would have been greatly enriched if all the allegations against Amaechi had been placed on the table; if senators on both political divide had
thrown verbal brickbats at one another; if the nominee had been forced, in confronting those allegations, to show the measure of the man in him, and the fighter he is. Sadly, the nation was denied of what would have been an engaging political thriller.

5) Not all deserve the ayes: Despite the soft handling and poor questioning of the nominees, the performance of some still left much to be desired. When it is time to take the confirmation question, the Senate should redeem itself by ensuring that not all the nominees get the ayes. In doing this, senators should not sacrifice competence for politics. Adebayo Shittu, the nominee from Oyo State for instance does not deserve confirmation. Asked a pointed question on Boko Haram, he declined to answer ostensibly because he has family members to look after. A man constrained by fear, and who cannot make sacrifices, is unfit to serve. Professor Claudius Daramola, the old man from Ondo State has taught at every school level. However, I fear for the age of his ideas. For me it’s a nay. Abubakar Malami, SAN from Kebbi State, is more of a businessman than an attorney. Already touted as heading for the Justice Ministry, his knowledge of legal and judicial issues is below par. He shouldn’t get the ayes.
As the screening resumes today, let’s hope the Senate will change its trajectory and inject more life into the exercise. Take away the brightness of five or six nominees, the screening process has, so far, been an exercise in boredom.