Buhari may send ministerial list this week – Lawan

Nigeria’s Senate President Ahmad Lawan Wednesday said President Muhammadu Buhari might send the ministerial list to the National Assembly before the end of the week.

“I can imagine that before this week runs out, we could get the list,” Lawan said during the plenary.

“I want to assure you that once we get the list, every senator here has shown the desire to stay long enough to screen and confirm the nominees in the interest of this country,” he added.

Lawan explained that the executive arm was working hard to ensure that the list was ready early enough before the senators proceeded on their annual two-month recess.

The Senate president was responding to a point of order raised by a People’s Democratic Party Senator Bassey Akpan.

Akpan, representing Akwa Ibom north-east, said the continuous delay in the list’s submission could affect the holidays of the senators.

“If we are going on recess in two weeks and by now we have not received received the ministerial nominee,” Akpan said.

“It means we have to put ourselves under intense pressure. I’m just calling the attention of Mr President that there is a need for you to urge Mr President to send the list of ministerial nominee[s],” he added. 4

Political analysts say Buhari’s ministerial list is being afflicted by a variety of influences leading to the delay of more than one month after his inauguration.

The failure of Buhari to appoint a cabinet four months after winning a second term has stymied the country’s stock market, prompted foreign investors to trim holdings and threatened growth prospects for Africa’s largest economy.

Buhari took six months to swear in a cabinet after the 2015 election – a delay critics contend contributed to the slow response to low oil prices that pushed Nigeria into a recession in 2016.