By Uche Mbah
Ahmed Lawan, the President of the 9the Senate, has become a but of jokes and innuendoes over his handling of the screening of ministerial nominees, which he has shown the predilection to “get it over with”, and no inclination to actually drop anyone, tending to confirm fears that the ninth Senate has become an appendage of the Presidency.
Lawan, since he became the Senate president, has been having a difficult task defending the ninth senate-and himself- saying that, contrary to speculations, the Senate is independent.
Since he became the senate President, he has all but become the unofficial spokesperson of the Presidency in the absence of an official minister of information. He flies into defense of the presidency anytime a criticism arises in the senate and, during a recent visit of the principal officers of the National assembly to the presidency, praised the Presidency for his “support during the NASS elections” and pledging loyalty to him.
His handling of the screenings have become the butt of jokes on social media, with many querying why there was screening at all.
But if anything, the screening appears to have brought out the inner thinking of the government. Abubakar Malami, former Attorney General of the federation, tried to justify why the presidency was not obeying Court orders on the floor of the senate, suggesting that they prefer extrajudicial means to achieve their aims-yet there was no eyebrows raised on the floor of the senate.
In answer to a question, he said:”Unfortunately the example you cited, Murtala Mohamed then as Military heads of states, I think the tactics (they ) used may suggest to me that nobody will succeed in fighting indiscipline and corruption in this country unless he uses extra judicial means, simply because we don’t like obeying orders”.
He was told to bow and go.
For Hadi Sirika, former minister of Aviation, no questions were asked about the Nigeria Air Logo that gulped millions of dollars without an Aircraft.
He was told to bow and go.
“Really, ‘the bow and go’ privilege is reserved for former members of the national assembly, but I do not think it has ever been this abused. Of the 14 nominees that were ’interviewed on Thursday alone, 10 were asked to ’bow and go’”, wrote Frederick Nwabufo, a social commentator.
Lawan is giving the privilege to everyone who has any legislative experience either at state of federal level. Other senates limited the privilege to former senators. At the end, only few nominees were screened. It was extended to all nominees from Katsina state, and the home state of National officers of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Civil society Organizations have made feeble noise about the issue, with some of them mumbling under their breath about weakened checks and balances.
