Below are some questions directed to Ministerial nominees by the Nigerian Senate during their screening.
And answers provided by the nominees on Thursday, October 22, as presided over by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki.
Barrister James Ocholi
- 'I make a vow; I will be honest, I will look at the issues &say the truthful legal advice to the President'
The Criminal Justice System
- 'Issues on Human Rights will be given adequate consideration if i'm given anything that has to do with that area'
- 'I will work on the design and construction of new Prisons'.
- 'Justice delayed is Justice denied. I like the recently passed Administration of Criminal Justice Law'.
- 'We have 69% of the total number of inmates awaiting trial in Prisons. This is unhealthy for Nigeria.'
Plea Bargain, should it be abolished?
- 'In my experience, I have had a difficulty in buying into plea bargaining.'
Plea Bargaining has only been recently codified clearly; the initiator, the terms, the guilt or otherwise'.
On Supreme Court Justices
- 'Our Supreme Court Justices are doing a very great work'
- 'In this time and age, our courts are still grinding slowly. Judges still hand write things that are said.'
- 'The Jurisdiction of the Supreme Court is too wide. We are in fact lucky that they don't die on the seat'.
On the number of Women in Government
- 'I plead with you not to allow me comment on this'.
'however says 35% appointment for women is not only tied to Ministerial Posts'.
Honourable Baba Shehuri Mustapha:
Former Councillor, former LG Chairman, former House of Assembly Honourable and Reps Honourable.
On improve Local Government Administration
Canvassed for Local Government Autonomy
Professor Cladius Omoleye Daramola:
On teaching quality, teachers' renumeration and the standard of education posed by Senator Ohuabunwa.
- 'We have to train and retrain Teachers. And most importantly, Teachers have to be paid regularly.'
On cultism in the educational sector, posed by Senator Abdulfatai Buhari.
- 'On Cultism, you rarely find Children of the poor as Cultist, most of them come from comfortable families'
Heineken Lokpobiri:
A former Senator.
On Environmental Rights vis a vis the Niger Delta, posed by Senate President Bukola Saraki
- 'I wrote on Environmental Rights as a scholar because our rights do not make provision for Environmental Rights.
Rotimi Amechi:
ex- governor of Rivers state.
On political antecedents as Speaker and later Governor of Rivers State for 8 Years each:
- 'We refined governance and repositioned leadership under my tenure as Governor.'
Issues concerning the Nigerian Governors' Forum posed by Senator Tayo Alasoadura
- 'All we did in the Governors Forum was to defend the rights of Nigerians'
- 'If we keep to the rule of law, allow a Governor to function as a Governor, that will be it'
- 'Nigerian politicians believe there is need for compromise but not when it clashes with my principles'
On Niger Delta Region if made a Minister of the region:
- 'If I become the Minister for Niger Delta, the East - West Road will be first to be completed'.
- 'I believe there are resources in the Niger-Delta, that is why there is Militancy'
- 'Why people don't invest in Nigeria is because the cost of investment is higher than the profit'
- 'We must improve on the Social Rights of the people; if you have peace you'll have investors.'
Corruption charges leveled against Him posed by Senator Gbenga Ashafa
- 'I have never collected bribe in my life.'
Can you, in your own view define what corruption is all about posed by Senator Shehu Sani.
- 'Corruption is difficult to define.'
- 'If they send a girl to you to do something for her and you sleep with the girl, you are corrupt.'
What he intends doing in his first 100 Days as Minister posed by Senator Wamakko Aliyu
- 'If I become the Minister for Niger Delta, the East - West Road will be first to be completed'.
- 'I believe there are resources in the Niger-Delta, that is why there is Militancy'
