Adeyeye Justifies ‘Bow and Go” Dominated Ministerial Screening of 9th Senate

Chairman ad-hoc committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Adedayo Adeyeye on Tuesday justified the ‘bow and go’ dominated ministerial screening of the 9th senate.

He made the justification while briefing newsmen after President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, announced the Senate’s two months recess.

The Senator representing Ekiti South who denied that the privilege was abused, maintained that the convention of “bow and go” was not a creation of the 9th assembly.

Senate on Tuesday concluded both the processes of screening and confirmation of ministerial nominees. The screening process which it commenced last week was concluded yesterday with three nominees of the list of 43 taking questions from lawmakers.

According to him, “The privilege reserved for federal lawmakers who had passed through the National Assembly was extended to members of state assemblies, former governors and female nominees.

He said: “Every organisation has its own rules and regulations. Privileges are accorded those who have legislative experience: members who have passed through the National Assembly and by extension the state house of assembly.

This rule was not established by the 9th Assembly, we are giving obedience to our own rules and regulations and we aren’t a lawless body.

“Also, we decided that because of the small number of women nominees and because we are gender-sensitive, we extended to women nominees. So, if you add that number to the federal lawmakers, the number appears huge.”

Speaking on its one-week ultimatum handed the Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki to issue a fresh proclamation on the inauguration of his state parliament, Senator Adeyeye said the Senate despite its recess would ensure that Governor Obaseki complied with its resolution.

“The resolution is already in place and in force. The National Assembly is one assembly as far as Edo is concerned.

Recall that the House of Representatives issued a similar ultimatum before the Senate. If after one week, the issue isn’t complied with, the Senate in accordance with the Constitution can take over legislative matters in Edo. We have the Constitutional power and we are going to evoke it.”

Meanwhile, the immediate past Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who was the last to be screened, lamented that he was the most vilified Minister.

He said he has suffered a trust deficit in the last four years he served as Minister of Information under President Muhammadu Buhari.

Standing before the lawmakers, Mohammed said his name has been punned and bastardised by those he described as ‘bad guys’ on social media.

He told senators that he was indifferent to the insults until his seven-year-old grandchild drew his attention to it.

The former Information Minister said he struggled to explain to the infant that his name was merely bastardised by members of the opposition parties.

He said: “They call me all sorts of names on the social media. I used to ignore it until one day, when my seven-year-old grandson called me and said, grandpa, please tell me the truth, why are they calling you Liar Mohammed?
“What do you say to a seven-year-old son? How do you explain politics to him? So, I said No! Don’t mind them.
They are the bad guys. He asked, ‘Bad guys like Bean?’ He mentioned one other names and I say yes.

“Later, I found out that those names he mentioned were in the cartoons he normally watches.”