Screening of ministerial nominees will be thorough – Senate Leader assures Nigerians

The Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, has assured Nigerians that the Senate will be thorough with the screening of the ministerial nominees presented by President Ahmed Bola Tinubu.

Bamidele said the Senate will scrutinise the ministers thoroughly to ascertain their competences and capabilities to serve Nigeria diligently and in such a way that will bring dividends of democracy to the populace.

The All Progressives Congress chieftain, also gave an inkling that the screening of the nominees will commence on Monday, July 31.

Bamidele said this on Friday, at a programme tagged ’24 Hours Marathon Praise and Worship Service’, organised by his admirers to mark his 60th birthday, held at the Obafemi Awolowo Civic and Convention Centre in Ado Ekiti.

He told journalists at the event that the Senator representing Ekiti Central Senatorial District, said the Senator Godswill Akpabio-led Senate was desirous and keen about ensuring that those holding pivotal positions under Tinubu’s presidency are those with capacities to deliver.

“Let me assure Nigerians that the screening won’t be only bow and go, except for those who had been members of the National Assembly before and whom we knew and appreciated that they have the wherewithal to give Nigerians qualitative leadership.

“Nigerians expected us to be thorough. They are expecting us to do a thorough screening. But take a bow and go is not an unparliamentary convention, it has become a practice all over the world and that person must be a former member of the parliament who is well known to us. Somebody we have confidence in his ability.

“We are going to follow the constitution to ensure that we deliver our mandate to make those who voted for us happy. This will occur at the level of parliament, oversight functions and at the committee level.

“We will partner with Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to deliver on his promises to Nigerians. We are determined to ensure that all three arms of government, particularly the judiciary, are put on a good footing to be able to deliver justice without fear or favour. We are determined to ensure that the right people are brought on board.”

On the removal of the fuel subsidy, Bamidele stated that the federal government will soon roll out social investment programmes to palliate the sufferings of the masses, especially the poorest of the poor in the country.

“The federal government will put palliatives in place to help the poorest of the poor . There is also another category of palliatives that will be rolled out for the civil servants apart from the promised salary increment that will be done across states and at the federal level.

“The removal is very significant because the FG will be able to save a lot of money to do infrastructure and make all Nigerians happy. That was the intention of President Tinubu regarding the removal. He knew what Nigerians are passing through and efforts are underway to cushion the effects of this removal.”

In his short exhortation tagged “out of your faithfulness” at the event, the Vicar in Charge of the All Saints’ Anglican Church, Iyin Ekiti, Ven Zaccheus Ibitoye, described Bamidele as a dependable and descent politician, who loathes politics of bitterness and do or die.