Bill for submission of Ministerial or Commissioners nominees with portfolios passes second reading

A Bill for an act to Alter Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Provide for Timetable for Submitting the Names of Ministerial or Commissioners Nominees with Portfolios attached and evidence of Declaration of Assets and Liabilities of the Nominees
This, followed a presentation of the bill by the sponsor, honourable Ben Rollands Igbakpa, representing Ethiope Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives in Abuja on Thursday.
According to the Lawmaker, while leading debate on the bill said that the bill is seeking to strengthen democracy and to cure constitutional defects.
In an interview with our Correspondent shortly after the plenary on the Thursday, hon. Igbakpa pointed out that the Nigeria is the only country that a government will be in place for sometimes before they set up their cabinet.
“As a government, if your cabinet is not in place your policy your policy direction cannot be properly interpreted. That is why I need to come up with this amendment to create that twenty one days for elected president or governors to present their nominees for Ministerial or Commissioners position.
“After that you must as a matter of compulsion add portfolios which will serve two purposes; to enable the legislative arm of government screen these persons based on the responsibility the government is giving them.
“The portfolio will also make people know that you are putting a round peg in a round hole.
“You campaign for a period of one year and during that period you have interacted with a lot of people and you know quite a lot of them and their capacity, there will not be any need to waste more time in a tenure that is 4 years to constitute a cabinet.
There shouldn’t be a lacuna, vacancy or gap in government. The office of a commissioner or a minister is a constitutional portfolio given to the president in trust.
The Presidents have the rights to appoint whoever he wants but in doing that they must consider the time”, he stated.

Hon. Ben Rollands Igbakpa

Hon. Igbakpa recalled that senate screened 43 nominees within 7 days which made Nigerians to call the legislators names -‘bow and go legislators’.
“It is not that the legislators are not intelligent or that they know what to do but they must be given the right atmosphere and instrument to work.
“These persons are to head other infrastrural segment of the economy, it is important they have their assets and liability forms or file.
“The nominees must not always be screened at the plenary; if you bring Nominees with their portfolios, they can be referred to appropriate committee for screening and for better interaction.
“The intentions of sections 147 and 192 is not for elected president and governors to delay nominating their ministers and commissioners, it not for to nominate them without portfolios but they are capitalizing on the fact that it is not clearly stated.
“It becomes absolute, it is absolutism now that we are trying to see how we can correct it.
“It has gone through the first and second reading and was referred to appropriate committee on amendment and belief is a bill that is worth looking at properly.
“This is an era of fighting corruption and anything we can do to support the government on the fight against corruption we must do it”, he insisted.