President Bola Tinubu has forwarded the second batch of ministerial nominees to the Senate for screening.
On Wednesday, Femi Gbajabiamila, the chief of staff to the president, delivered the letter containing the nominees’ names to Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The recently submitted list of ministerial nominees completes the representation for the remaining 11 states that had not yet been allotted a ministerial slot.
To allow Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff, to present the list, the Senate invoked Order 12(i) and permitted him to enter the chamber at 3.15 p.m.
Before the Chief of Staff’s arrival, the Senate was in the process of screening a ministerial nominee, Lateef Fagbemi from Kwara state.
The Senate has been conducting screening sessions for the nominees since they were submitted by President Tinubu last week Thursday. A total of 28 nominees were forwarded for consideration.
On Monday, the Senate screened 14 of the nominees, with the remaining 14 scheduled for screening today.
Today’s Order Paper listed five nominees for screening: Dele Alake (Ekiti), Muhammad Idris (Niger), Professor Ali Pate Bauchi, Doris Anite Uzoka (Imo), and Lateef Fagbemi SAN (Kwara).
During his screening, Dele Alake expressed the need to strengthen the regulation of social media, stressing that it could lead to confusion if not properly managed.
He called on the National Assembly to consider amending existing laws to regulate social media and combat fake and inaccurate information.
Alake also emphasized the importance of enforcing laws against libel and defamation and urged victims to take legal action against offenders in both broadcast and print media.
As of now, Muhammad Idris from Niger State has already been screened, while the Senators are currently questioning Lateef Fagbemi.