Senators kick against exclusion of FCT nominees as screening begins

The senate has commenced the screening of ministerial nominees submitted to it by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The nominees arrived just as the senators were commencing plenary on Wednesday to begin their screening.

This is even as two senators kicked against the exclusion of the federal capital territory from the ministerial list of 43 nominees.

Each of the 36 states have one nominee with some states having two.

There was, however, no nominee from the FCT, a point first raised during the plenary by Philip Aduda representing the capital territory.

Aduda called the attention of his colleagues to the “unconstitutional” exclusion of the FCT from the list.

He said the national assembly is the “state house of assembly for the FCT” and that his constituents are aggrieved over the exclusion.

Senate President Ahmad Lawan responded that the order has been noted and that he believes the executive have noted it as well.

But Dino Melaye from Kogi east raised the mater again, drawing the attention of his colleagues to section 297 of the 1999 constitution part of which said “the FCT shall be treated as if it were one of he states of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

“To give constitutional tilt to the appeal by the FCT senator, it is a constitutional point of duty for the FCT to be represented,” he said.

“If the constitution had said it shall be treated as if it is one of the states and the constitution says all states shall have one minister, I think it is very clear.”

Lawan, once again, said the point of order has been noted and proceeded to commence the screening process.