The Leader of the Senate, Ali Ndume, who made the announcement during plenary on the floor of the Senate on Wednesday, said the minister said she would not be able to appear before the lawmakers as she was attending the Federal Executive Council meeting same day. Adeosun was billed to address the Senate on the state of the nation’s economy and the implementation of the 2016 Appropriation Act. The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, had appeared before the Senate for the same reasons on Tuesday and was grilled by the lawmakers for about two hours behind closed doors. Ndume, after Emefiele’s appearance, had moved the motion to invite Adeosun on another date. The Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, while seconding the motion, noted that it was the minister who picked Wednesday to appear before the Senate and asked why the minister picked a date that coincided with the FEC meeting. He added that while Adeosun’s failure to appear before the lawmakers might not been seen as a disregard to the legislature, it should be seen as an “omission” on her part. Ruling on the motion, Senate President Bukola Saraki said Adeosun still had the opportunity to appear before the close of plenary later on Wednesday or Thursday unfailingly. “Unfailingly, she must be here later today (Wednesday) or tomorrow (Thursday). The issues she must address are important for Nigerians to understand. The CBN governor was here and did the same thing yesterday (Tuesday),” he said. Adeosun, however, did not appear before the Senate before the end of plenary on Wednesday. Asked whether his boss would honour the Senate invitation, the Special Assistant to the minister on Media, Mr. Festus Akanbi, said yes. Akanbi, who stated this in a telephone conversation with one of our correspondents in Abuja, explained that Adeosun would have appeared on Wednesday but for the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting. Akanbi said, “The minister actually rushed to the Senate immediately after the FEC meeting but unfortunately the plenary had been adjourned. “She, however, met with the Senate leadership and pleaded with them to allow her come on Thursday (today) to brief the senators, on the state of the nation’s economy.”]]>