THE POLITICS IN THE SENATE

For the first time ever one will want to queue up behind the present administration being chaired by president Muhammadu Buhari for about getting it right for the first time. The intimidating academic qualifications and educational pedigree of prof.Claudius Daramola (one of the ministerial nominees)without any iota of skepticism confers on him the portfolio of the next education Minister, but if by any means the reverse becomes the case then APC as a party is suffering from a disease known as conjunctivitis and intelligentsia bareness. One is not only gleeful by the curriculum Vitae of the prof. or being an academic alone( a teacher, an acting head-master, head-master, lecturer and a professor) but on the soothing fact the he acquired all his educational degrees in Nigeria. This to a very wide extent baptised Prof. Daramola with the rich knowledge of the problems facing the Nigeria education sector.
In as much as one was not swept off his feet as one had expected to have by the voracity of the professor, a shrug of the shoulder is given to the performance of the prof. who displayed a rather above average result sheet when answering questions as filed by the Senators.

A swift drift from the ministerial nominees to the politics of the Senate. Its no news that the heat that was raised by the nomination of former Rivers State governor Chibuike Rotimi Amachi as regards his eligibility of being a minister, having plethora of allegations against him bothering on corruption and embezzlement,finally, has been laid to rest, the screening of the former Rivers state governor was done yesterday without any rancour or fisticuffs from the opposition party (PDP) which has hitherto displayed such trait, the display by the PDP senators live one to ponder on the clandestine permutations and compensation that would have been done behind close doors.

Prior the plenary of the Senate yesterday, the screening of Rotimi Amachi which has raised so much dust that even the dead sneezed, more so, the mentioning of such name in the red chamber was enough to set the stage for a free for all from both parties in the Senate. The PDP which before now was hell bent on stopping the former governor from being screened as a ministerial nominee, and not wanting to shift grounds on such position, yesterday took a parabola. The belligerent idiosyncrasies of the opposition has created an atmosphere of ambiguity in the minds of many Nigerians who hold the view that Rotimi Amachi will not be screened and even if he is going to be screened at all by the Senators, he will pass through the eye of a needle in the hands of the opposition party (PDP), but to the chagrin of many, not even a question was asked by the PDP senators. The bewilderment of many Nigerians who have taken keen interest in the screening of the ministerial nominees: yesterday's plenary session will linger in the memory of many owing to the taciturnity gesture of the opposition members who hitherto have been spitting fire and erupting volcanic saliva all in a bid to forestall Amachi from being screened.

The only logical conclusion one can deduce from the moroseness of the opposition (PDP) is on the fact that " Ghana must go bags" would have changed hands. A Lot of compensation would have been done and those having a case in the EFCC might be given a soft landing and a fair hearing.

Due to the controversial nature of the case of the former governor which one can analyze to be political rather than in the battle of competency,the allegations of corruption as it's levelled against him by the various petitions clandestinely sponsored by the opposition is just a way to unnecessarily grill the former governor who is envisaged as a betrayer. The opposition party saw the screening of the former governor as the only avenue to get their pound of flesh. Seeing the vehement position held by the opposition party forced the ruling party APC to delay the screening of the ex-governor for two weeks, just to douse the tension in the house and buy as much time as possible, also, in order to go into political consultations, negotiations and permutations just to ease the way for the political gladiator, who is only good at stabbing his boss in the back.

Of recent the allegations of financial misappropriation and restlessness of the former governor of Akwa Ibom State Godwills Akpabio has been occupying the front pages of the various newspapers both local and foreign. More so, Akpabio is the minority leader in the Senate whose seconder to any motion as moved by the majority leader in the Senate is very pivotal. Akpabio's position in the Senate is sacrosanct, if he fails to second any motion moved by the majority leader such motion may not see the day of light and the proceedings in the red chamber may be held to ransom. Also Akpabio is a very respected Senator among the PDP senators, this assertion is proven on his emergence as a minority leader being a first timer as a senator. Such sensitive position is mostly reserved for at least a second time senator who has accumulated vast wealth of experience.

Probably, one of the political bargain the PDP senators would have tabled before the APC Leadership would have been, all allegations bothering on embezzlement, financial racketeering, siphoning of public funds, etc. be dropped or swept under the carpet in other to allow smooth screening of the controversial Amachi.
If this assertion is remotely close to the truth then,the fight against corruption has finally been sacrificed on the altar of political bargain and Buhari's corruption crusade is just a show to hoodwinks gullible Nigerians.
Com. Lawrence.

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