Senate screens Alasoadura, Aliyu, Shehuri, Magash

As the screening exercise of the ministerial nominees entered its second day in the Senate on Thursday, four nominations have been confirmed by noon.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Senate adjourned the exercise by 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday after screening 10 nominees.

Those screened as at 12:35 a.m. on Thursday are: Sen. Tayo Alasoadura (Ondo), who is a former member of the Senate between 2015 and 2019.

Another nominee screened is Mr Mustapha Shehuri (Borno), the immediate past minister State of Works, Power and Housing and a former member of the House of Representatives.

The third nominee is Abubakar Aliyu (Yobe), a civil engineer, who was deputy governor of Yobe between 2009 and 2019.

Also screened is Retired Maj. Gen. Bashir Magashi (Kano), a former ECOMOG field commander.

The Senate unanimously waved some of its rules on screening of the nominees because Alasoadura and Shehuri were once in the National Assembly.

Magashi during his screening provided answers to some questions on the security challenges in the country and ways to address them.

On Aliyu, the President of the Senate, Dr Ahmad Lawan who hails from the same state commended his stewardship as state’s number two man in the last 10 years.

Lawan thanked his colleagues for the support given to Aliyu and other nominees screened as at the time of filing this report on Thursday.

NAN further reports that among those who are currently waiting in the office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, Sen. Ita Enang, for screening are: Mr Niyi Adebayo (Ekiti) and Sunday Dare (Oyo).

Others are: Mr Timipre Sylva (Bayelsa), a former governor of the state and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Mohammed Abdullahi (Nassarawa). (NAN)