The Senate commences screening of ministerial nominees today, and this has led to suspension of the probe of former governor of Rivers State and a ministerial nominee, Rotimi Amaechi, noting that it would amount to subjudice as the case was in court.
Speaking yesterday, Chairman Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, Senator Samuel Anyanwu (PDP, Imo East) said it was not feasible for the committee to still look at the petition or probe Amaechi. This he said when Amaechi and the former Special Assistant to the President on Millennium Development Goals, MDGs, Amina Mohammed, arrived the Senate.
He noted that the issues raised in the petition before the committee were already in court, so the senators will not attend to it.
Anyanwu said since the issues raised were in court, Senate would not want to run foul and brought the sitting to a close at 2.35 p.m.
Section 41(7) of the Senate Standing Orders 2015 as amended, reads: “The Senate shall not receive any petition on any matter for which there is a judicial remedy.”
Amaechi, who arrived the Committee Room 1.20 at 2.22p.m., was asked by the committee chairman if there was anyone he was not comfortable with as a member of the committee.
He said no and swore to the Bible to say the truth at 2.27 p.m.
Amaechi hailed the Committee for following the Rule of Law, said if his political history was followed, what he was facing was not new because in 2007, a panel indicted him and the Supreme Court cleared him.
“When you invited me, I knew there will be rule of law,” he said.
