Screening: Senate in closed session on meeting with Buhari

The Senate resumed plenary around 11:15 am on Thursday and went into closed session to discuss critical issues relating to the screening of the 21 ministerial nominees sent to it for confirmation and approval by President Muhammadu Buhari. The Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, had told our correspondent last week that the upper chamber would discuss the procedure for the screening after the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, had read out the names contained in the sealed envelope sent to him by Buhari. A senator, who craved anonymity told our correspondent shortly before the closed session this morning that the meeting would discuss the details of the closed session Buhari had with the leadership of the National Assembly last night. He also said the petition presented to the senate by the three senators from Rivers State against the nomination of Former Governor would also be discussed. Meanwhile some ministerial nominees were sighted at the Senate wing of the National Assembly on Thursday, obviously to familiarise themselves with the senators and to submit their Curriculum Vitae for necessary scrutiny by the senior federal lawmakers. Some of those sighted as of 11:30am were Former Governor Ogbonnaya Onu, Senator Chris Ngige, Senator Udo Udoma and a former Chairman of the Peoles Democratic Party, Audu Ogbeh.