A National Assembly member representing Abi/Yakurr Federal Constituency of Cross River State, Dr. Alex Egbona, has urged President Bola Tinubu to attach Portfolio to the ministerial list before sending it to the Senate for screening.
He made the appeal in an interview with journalists in Abuja at the weekend during the graduation ceremony of the advanced leadership programme of the GOTNI National Leadership Centre.
The programme, according to the Chief Executive Officer of the Centre was a five-day training on leadership, with 21 participants made of top government functionaries and captains of industry.Egbona, who also participated in the training, said attaching portfolios to ministerial list would enable senators to ask the appropriate questions that are relevant to the ministry that the nominees are proposed to handle.
He however defended the ‘bow and go’ screening policy of the Senate which shields ministerial nominees from rigorous questioning, saying it the culture was intended to strengthen comradeship with nominees with legislative experience.He appealed to leadership and members of the 10th National Assembly to take the issue of oversight function very seriously.
“To some extent, it is wrong to send ministers’ name without portfolio. Though it is the Senate arm of the National Assembly that screens ministers but we believe very soon, the president, in the next two to three weeks will send the names of ministers and may even attach them portfolio.
“Most times, what the Senate does was to ask general questions but if it comes with portfolio and they say for instance, Mr AYZ, you are the proposed minister of agriculture, all the questions will be towards agric. So, if the President attaches ministry to the names, it will be very good.
“On oversight, in the 9th National Assembly, I have had the opportunity to attend some oversight but was not too encouraged with what we did. If you go to a ministry or parastatal, scrutinize what they are doing and if they are not doing well, bring a report saying they are not doing well. There should not be hide and seek business in oversight. That is what the 10th agenda is saying,” Egbona said.
