Tinubu’s new ministers thank presidential aide for successful Senate screening

"We can’t thank you enough for how you have navigated us all through this process and how you have made us quite comfortable through the whole procedure."

The seven nominees screened by the Senate on Wednesday for ministerial appointments have confirmed that the process was easier for them because of the mutual relationship between the Presidency and the National Assembly.

The upper chamber confirmed Nentawe Yilwatda as Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Muhammadu Dingyadi as Minister of Labour and Employment and Bianca Odumegu-Ojukwu as Minister of State Foreign Affairs.

Others are Jumoke Oduwole as Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Idi Maiha as Minister of Livestock Development, Yusuf Abdullahi Ata as Minister of State, Housing and Urban Development and Suwaiba Ahmad as Minister of State Education.

With the confirmation, the total number of ministers serving in the administration of President Bola Tinubu is 48.

The nominees specifically appreciated the Special Adviser to the President on Senate Matters, Basheer Lado, for facilitating a peaceful and successful screening, according to a Friday statement from Mr Lado’s office.

Mrs Odumegu-Ojukwu, who spoke on behalf of other nominees, said before the screening started, the president’s adviser offered them a hint on how the screening would be conducted and possible questions that would be asked during the process.

“We can’t thank you enough for how you have navigated us all through this process and how you have made us quite comfortable through the whole procedure. I was quite nervous, we were just wondering basically if this day will come and go.

“And from the onset, each person here, you made the effort to get in touch personally, speak to us, tell us everything that we needed to do, all the documentation that needed to be done and saw us through this, from beginning to completion,” she said.

Mrs Odumegu-Ojukwu, the widow of former Biafran leader Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, also said she and other nominees were in constant communication with the president’s adviser before the screening even during late hours.

She thanked Mr Lado for the support.

“So, …, I congratulate all my colleagues here, but on behalf of all of us, we just say a very very big thank you. We really appreciate your efforts.

“We appreciate your consideration; we appreciate your sacrifice because we were calling you at odd hours of the night and you were always available to speak to us and to guide us through this. So I thank you so very much on behalf of all of us here,” she added.