THE Senate on Tuesday, December 2, rejected a motion by the senator representing Niger East, Sani Musa, seeking to allow the Minister of Defence nominee, Christopher Musa, a retired general, to “take a bow and go” without rigorous questioning.
He cited Musa’s distinguished military career and previous role as Chief of Defence Staff as the reason the Senate should enable him to enjoy what has become a tradition in Nigeria’s upper legislative chamber.
The motion caused some minutes of disorder at the plenary, as some lawmakers, including Garba Maidoki (Kebbi South), opposed it and insisted that all nominees, regardless of prior public service, must undergo full screening in line with parliamentary tradition.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, who presided over the plenary, called for calm and order as he rejected the proposal.
Taking an unusual stand, Akpabio said, “This is not the time for the politics of bow and go”, stressing that with Nigeria’s security challenges and more than 200 abducted schoolchildren in Niger State still in captivity, Nigerians should hear from the minister designate.
The Senate suspended the motion and proceeded with full screening of the nominee.
What this episode signifies
Sani Musa’s motion reflects a phenomenon critics call the “bow-and-go syndrome” in the Senate, where the screening of former security chiefs and other high-ranking appointees are fast-tracked as lawmakers ask them to take and bow and go.
According to the Guardian, the “bow-and-go” practice began in 2003 as a privilege strictly for nominees who had served in the Senate. It was later extended to everyone with legislative experience at federal and state levels.
The first beneficiary was the late Senator Wahab Dosumu, who represented Lagos Central Senatorial District between 1999 and 2003. The Senate asked him to take a bow and go when he was appointed a minister in 2004 after defecting from the then Alliance for Democracy (AD) to the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP).
About 15 of the 23 nominees of the late President Muhammadu Buhari led administration, enjoyed the privilege in 2019.
The nominees who have benefitted from the controversial decision are the current Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, George Akume, Emeka Nwajuaba, Adeleke Mamora, Rotimi Amaechi, Tayo Alasoadura, Mustapha Baba Shehuri, Timipre Sylva, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo, Chris Ngige, Muhammadu Musa Bello, Sa’adiya Umar Farouk, Sharon Ikeazor, and Ramatu Aliyu.
In 2015, former Senate President Bukola Saraki said the 8th Senate under his watch would shun the practice.
The tradition was restored by the 9th and 10th Senate. According to critics, one of the effects of this tradition is the discrepancies that are exposed in the credentials of political appointees after their screening by the Senate and the State Security Service (SSS)
Critics also noted the Senate’s refusal to let Nigerians hear from the appointee deny citizens to know what the appointees’ plans are for the offices they are superintending over.
In 2017, The ICIR investigations exposed how two individuals appointed by the former Acting President Yemi Osinbajo to the board of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) were under corruption investigations.
The appointees, Maimuna Aliyu and Sa’ad Alanamu, were being probed for alleged multi-million-naira fraud by both the ICPC and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
While Alanamu was being investigated on corruption charges allegedly committed while he headed some institutions in Kwara State, Aliyu reportedly had a longstanding case of abuse of office, misappropriation and diversion of public funds against her.
The ICIR also reported in 2018 how the former Minister of Finance Kemi Adeosun brought the Muhammadu Buhari administration into global disrepute after a Premium Times report revealed that she presented a forged NYSC exemption certificate as part of her credentials.
Although Buhari had referred Adeosun and other ministerial nominees to the SSS for security screening in September 2015, it remains shocking how her forged NYSC exemption certificate slipped through the agency’s scrutiny. Adesun also joined other minister-nominees to pass through Senate screening and confirmation.
She consequently resigned from office after public backlash.
Similarly, The ICIR reported the latest scandal involving the former Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Uche Nnaji, who resigned recently after another Premium Times report exposed him for using forged certificates to secure his position.
These incidents, according to critics, showed a consistent pattern of failure by vetting institutions to uphold the standards prescribed by law.
Constitutionally, the Senate is required to screen all ministerial nominees and other political positions, while the SSS conducts background checks.
Under Section 147(2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), ministerial nominees must be screened and confirmed by the Senate.
International best practices for legislative screening of nominees require the lawmakers conduct background checks of nominees and have access to records of asset declaration, and other relevant documents before the screening.
Similarly, the National Security Agencies Act of 1986 mandates the SSS to provide protective and preventive security through background checks on public officials, including verifying the authenticity of their records before appointment.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.