Akpabio Steps Down South East Senators Motion Over Lopsided Ministerial List

The Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, on Monday stepped down point of order in the upper chamber as South East Senators protested against the non-adherence to the principle of Federal character and provision of the law in the ministerial appointments.

Senator Dr Tony Nwoye, representing Anambra North Senatorial District, who moved the motion, which was stepped down by Akpabio, explained that Tinubu’s ministerial appointments violated the provisions of the Federal Character Commission Act and 1999 Constitution as amended, which provides that in sharing any position, the President must take cognizance of zones, states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

According to the 15 lawmakers from the Southeast, despite the provisions of the law, they were worried that apart from the appointment of a minister from each of the five states in the region, no other minister was appointed from the zone on the basis of representation from geopolitical zones, whereas the other five geopolitical zones got an additional minimum of two ministers each from their zones.

The five ministers appointed from the South East zone were Uju Ken Ohaneye, Anambra State; Uche Nnaji, Enugu State; David Umahi, Ebonyi state; Dr Doris Uzoka, Imo state and Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, Abia state.

Meanwhile, while other regions got additional ministers apart from the one appointed from each state in the regions, the South East did not get any additional ministerial appointments.
Nwoye said, “I am not happy about it at all. That is why Senators from the South East – 15 of us in number – wanted to move the point of order since Friday on Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, of the flagrant violation of that Section”.

“That Section points out to the fact that in sharing any position, you must take cognizance of zones, you must take cognizance of Federal Character in anything you are doing.”

“Then, Federal Character Commission Act, 2004, laws of the federation states very clear in Section 5(a) (b) Part 3, Section 4(b) Part 1 of the Federal Character Commission Act, that in doing any appointment, be it ministers, you must take cognizance of states, FCT or Zones.”

“Zones in this subject matter is geopolitical zones. So, the South East zone was not given one person in terms of geopolitical zones, while other zones, Northwest has three additional from the zone, making it 10.

“Northeast has two, making it eight because they have six states. North Central has extra two added to the six states they have, making it eight. Southwest has extra three added to six states they have making it nine. South South has extra two added to six states they have, making it eight. Southeast has none.”

“They only gave us based on states. It is not fair. It offends the principle of Federal Character. It violates that section of the Federal Character – FA 5(b) Part 3, 4(b).”

“That is why we have been angling for a motion but from point of order to motion, but the Senate President in his wisdom, for reasons best known to him decided that he wants to go and take it up with President Asiwaju Bola Tinubu privately instead of moving the motion.”

“We prefer to move the motion, if it fails, it fails because other Senators, we spoke to them individually and they saw the reason that it is not fair. Maybe it was an oversight. So, we are appealing to him by the sense of the motion that was stepped down, for him to see reasons to reflect Federal Character Act and respect that provision and appoint two extra ministers from the Southeast to represent the zone because it is very clear in the laws of the federation.”
“And it is not fair that out of six geopolitical zones we have in Nigeria, five zones have their own from two, three but only Southeast doesn’t have any. It is not fair.”

The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, promised to meet President Bola Tinubu over the agitation of South East Senators against the disproportionate number of ministers allotted to the region.