The Senate, on Wednesday, screened and confirmed all the seven ministerial nominees sent to the upper chamber by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Buhari had in a letter dated June 15, 2022, stated that the confirmation request was in accordance with the provisions of Section 147(2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended.

Out of the seven nominees screened and confirmed by Senate at plenary on Wednesday, three were excused from taking questions from the lawmakers.

This was because of their legislative background and experience, in line with the tradition of the Senate, while four of the nominees answered questions from the senators.

The nominees excused from questions at the screening were Goodluck Nana Opiah (Imo), Umar Ibrahim El-Yakub (Kano), and Ademola Adewole Adegoroye (Ondo).

Those who responded to questions included Henry Ikechukwu Ikoh (Abia) Umana Okon Umana (Akwa Ibom), Ekumankama Joseph Nkama (Ebonyi), and Odum Odi (Rivers).

Responding to questions, Ikoh, a nominee from Abia, promised to contribute to the development of the nation’s economy, if confirmed, given his background in the private sector as an industrialist.

On how jobs could be created for the teeming unemployed youths, Ikoh re-emphasised the need for the establishment of modular refineries, to refine the nation’s crude oil locally.

This, he said, would help to create more jobs and ultimately grow the economy further.

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He also advocated the deepening of partnership between the Federal Government and the private sector, to create more industries, saying it would also result in the creation of jobs.

Ikoh added that there was a need to ensure that graduates of tertiary institutions possess technical knowledge that would enable them to become job creators, especially in the local communities.

Responding to questions on how to improve the revenue and foreign exchange earnings of Nigeria, the nominee from Akwa Ibom, Umana Okon Umana, said the free trade zone was a veritable platform to improve the nation’s revenue earnings.

Umana said effort should be made to improve Nigeria’s production sector for export, which would enable the inflows of foreign exchange.

The nominee from Ebonyi, Ekumankama Joseph Nkama, when asked how he could contribute to youth development, given his youthful age, said there was a need to ensure a national re-orientation for the youths, on a get-rich-quick mentality.

According to the 46-year-old nominee, the youths should be encouraged and enabled to seek the numerous opportunities in the country, instead of focusing on government jobs.

On the ASUU strike, he said there was a need for the Federal Government and ASUU to come to the round table, and reach a compromise on workable terms of resolving the strike.

He also said there was a need to provide more budgetary allocation to the education sector.

Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, in his remarks after the screening and confirmation, congratulated the ministerial designates on their confirmation.

Lawan, thereafter, adjourned shortly for a tea break to return to plenary to pass the votes and proceedings.

The Star