Nigeria’s Senate President, Bukola Saraki, took what what many considered to be an unusual step on Tuesday when he personally delivered to President Muhammadu Buhari, a list of nominees cleared by the Senate for appointment as ministers.
Saraki said he decided to personally deliver the list to the president because he had other issues to discuss with him and denied that the issue of his trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal came up.
The action by Saraki broke away with past protocol that required presidential aides to transmit the letter.
Incidentally, it was Buhari was first ignored that procedure when he sent his list through his Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, rather than his special adviser on Senate, Ita Enang.
Buhari and the Senate president had not enjoyed the best of relationships since his emergence as senate leader, against his party’s directive.
Saraki is currently facing charges of alleged false declaration of asset and corruption, the charges he has repeatedly described as politically motivated.
Speaking with state house press corp after a closed-door meeting with the president, Saraki said the quality of ministerial nominees submitted by the president, made it easy for the Senate to screen and confirm them.
“You noticed that in some cases we delayed the number of one or two, it is all part of politics, of behind the scene, but at the end of the day we finished with them, that is all about give and take and eventually I am happy with what the senators have done,” he said.
On concerns that some ministers may not be given portfolios, the Senate president said that was nothing new, as some could be ministers of states, stressing that the important thing was being in the cabinet and being part of the government.
He noted that the country had more pressing issues like declining revenues, the challenges of trying to boost revenue and create jobs.
Buhari reaffirmed his determination to block leakages and cut spending in the face of financial crisis and reemphasised that not all the 36 ministers would head ministries.
According to him, the Constitution said there must be one member of the cabinet from all the states but did not say he must have 36 ministries.
Referring to criticisms that trailed his recent statements while in India on the true state of the Nigerian economy, he said though accused of giving bad publicity and scaring away investors from the country, investors knew better.
“Any investor who is interested in investing in Nigeria will seem to know more about the economy more than ourselves. So when I come and tell the truth about the position of the economy of the country, I am going out looking for investors.
“But I am confirming to them that we are truthful, that we need them to come and help us help ourselves by getting in industries, manufacturing and services.
“They know our needs. The economy of human resources, I believe will make them eventually come and help us,” he said.
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