The Presidency has backed the conditions set by the Nigerian Senate for the screening of ministerial nominees before getting clearance.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, Ita Enang, said yesterday in Abuja that the Senate has the primary constitutional responsibility  to set conditions for the screening of prospective ministers.

The Senate had recent announced October 13, 14 and 15 for the screening of the 21 ministerial nominees submitted to it by President Muhammadu Buhari.

On Friday, the chairman, Senate ad-hoc committee on Media and Publicity, Dino Melaye, said the upper chamber had agreed on some basic criteria to be met by ministerial nominees before securing clearance.

According to Melaye, nominees must secure the support of two of the three senators from their state, while those who had held public office before must show evidence of declaration of assets.

“The first criterion is using constitutional provisions as stipulated in the 1999 Constitution (as amended) as a fundamental procedure for the screening of ministerial nominees,” Melaye stated.

“Section 120 of the Standing Rules of the Senate states that the Senate shall not consider the nomination of any person, who has held any public office as contained in Part 2 of the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution prior to his nomination unless there is a written evidence that he has declared his assets and liabilities as required by Section 11(1) of Part 1 of the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” the Senate spokesman explained

In addition, Melaye said that “in line with our convention, agreed that for you to be cleared as a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, minimum of two senators from your state must, at least, show support for your nomination.”

Explaining further, he said that it “is a convention by the Senate, and we have decided to uphold that convention in the sanctity of the integrity of the Senate. The era of take-a-bow-and-go is over. We are still going.”

Reacting to the Senate position, Enang, a senator in the last republic, said there is nothing wrong with the request of the red chamber for the nominees to submit certified true copies of their assets declaration.

“The Senate is the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and it is free to set its criteria for the screening of the nominees appearing before it.Our job is to make sure that we work with the respective senators and the nominees to make sure that the senators are satisfied and agree with the nomination,” he said.

“The senators are free to ask questions just like the nominees are equally free to answer them. The senators are within their rights to request for what they want,” he concluded.