A mild drama played out during the screening of Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu at the senate, on Wednesday.
Last week, President Bola Tinubu had forwarded names of 7 ministerial nominees to the senate, requesting screening and confirmation.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio read the request on the floor of the upper legislative chamber on Thursday.
As against the past when portfolios of the nominees were not disclosed to lawmakers, that was the first time since 1999 when the Nigerian president would reveal the specific roles assigned to the nominees.
The nominees listed on the order paper of the Senate for screening on Wednesday were Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda, Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi, Bianca Odinaka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Hon. Yusuf Abdullahi Ata, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole and Suwaiba Said Ahmad, Ph.D.
When it was the turn of Ojukwu, she read her credentials and listed her achievements before Akpabio opened the floor for questions.
Senator Osita Ngwu, lawmaker representing Enugu West District in the 10th National Assembly, had indicated interest to speak.
He started by praising the beauty of the nominee, attracting reactions from his colleagues.
“Mr President, the beautiful nominee standing before us today is…,” Ngwu said before Akpabio interrupted him by saying, “Restrict yourself to the resume. Forget this word beautiful. She didn’t put in her CV that she is beautiful.”
Akpabio’s comment elicited laughter among the senators.
Speaking during the screening, widow of former Biafra warlord Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, said due to the dilapidated state of the Nigerian embassy in Madrid, she opted staying in a hotel for one year.
“I would like to say that my past records speak for me. As an ambassador to the Kingdom of Spain, I spent an entire year in one hotel room because when I got to Spain, the mission building was in such an appalling condition.”
“The embassy was located very close to the upscale estate of Galagao, where people would pass by on their way to various events and matches. It was disheartening that this decadent structure represented Nigeria in such a prestigious area. The Nigerian embassy in Madrid that you see today is the product of my time in that country.”
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