The Senate on Monday, announced new chairmen of some standing committees.
According to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio made public the names of the chairmen of the committees after confirming 45 of the 48 ministerial nominees during the day’s plenary session.
President of the Ninth Senate Ahmad Lawan (Defence), former governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal (Housing), and former governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole (Interior) were some of the senators appointed to chair committees.
Also appointed were Sen Godiya Akwashiki (Airforce), Buhari Abdul-Fata (Aviation), Osita Izunaso (Capital Market), Cyril Fasuyi (Establishment), Seriake Dickson (Ecology/Climate Change), Petroleum Downstream (Jide Ipisagba), Aliyu Wadada (Public Account), Shehu Kaka (Special Duties), Patrick Ndubueze (Works), Solomon Adeola (Appropriations), Musa Sani (Finance), and Abiru Tokunbo (Banking).
The new chairmen also included Isa Jubril (Customs), Elisha Abbo (Culture and Tourism), Victor Umeh (Diaspora), Lawal Usman (Education), Akintunde Yunus (Environment), Ibrahim Bomai (FCT), Sani Abubakar (Foreign Affairs), Banigo Harry (Health), Abubakar Yari, (Water Resources), Enyinaya Abaribe (Power), and Aliyu Wamakko (Local and Foreign Debts).
Others are Adamu Aliero (Land transport), Daniel Olugbenga (Navy), Barinada Mpigi (Niger Delta), Mohammed Monguno (Judiciary), Yemi Adaramodu (Youths and Sports), Ireti Kingigbe (Women Affairs), Orji Kalu (Privatization), Mustapha Sabiu (Agriculture), Aliyu Bilbis (Communications) and Asuquo Ekpenyong (NDDC).
The latest announcement follows the chairmen of standing committees earlier announced by the Senate President.
Meanwhile,Festus Keyamo, SAN, apologised to the Senate on Monday evening over his failure to honour invitations by the relevant legislative committee overseeing the Ministry of Labour and Productivity where he had served as a minister under the Muhammadu Buhari administration.
This followed a rowdy session at the Senate during his ministerial screening earlier in the day where Senator Darlington Nwokocha (Abia Central) accused Keyamo of disrespecting the Ninth National Assembly and accusing the last Assembly of being corrupt.
Tendering an apology “without reservation”, the former Minister of State for Labour and Productivity provided more insight into the circumstances.
“Maybe it was as a result of the lack of knowledge of the fact that this matter had long been resolved between us and the members of that committee,” he told the Senate with a more sombre disposition than hours earlier.
“Subsequently, there were so many hearings – budget defence and all that – we attended under a very convivial atmosphere. So, the apology is without reservation. I apologise.”
Earlier, Nwokocha moved a motion for the suspension of Keyamo’s ministerial screening.
The senator argued that during the Buhari administration, Keyamo was invited to explain a Special Public Works programme and did not honour the invitation.
Responding to the issues that had resulted in his summon, the lawyer stated that every single payment to the beneficiaries under the public works programme was paid directly from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to the beneficiaries.
He further explained that the register with the names, account numbers and Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs) of the beneficiaries was at the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) and could be verified.