Eleven of 12 ministerial nominees presented sent to the Senate for screening by President Goodluck Jonathan have been confirmed.

Those confirmed are Musiliu Obanikoro, Lagos; Mohammed Wakil, Borno; Aminu Wali, Kano; Akon Eyakenyi, Akwa Ibom; Lawrencia Malam, Kaduna; and Aliu Gusau, Zamfara.

Others are: Boni Haruna, Adamawa; Khaliru Alhassan, Sokoto; Abduljelil Adesiyan, Osun;  T.W Danagogo, Rivers; and Asabe Ahmed, Niger.

The Senate President, David Mark, said that the screening of the second nominee from Kano State, Hadjia Jamilla Salik, had been deferred to another legislative day, although no reason was given.

During the plenary, some legislators from Osun State objected to the confirmation of Adesiyan who hails from the state, saying that the interest of the country would not be best served by the nominee.

Adesiyan was one of the accused persons arrested and charged for the murder of late Nigeria’s Attorney General, Bola Ige. He stood trial with Senator Iyiola Omisore for several months before the case was controversially dismissed.

One of the senators who raised the objection, Olusola Adeyeye (APC-Osun) referred his colleagues to the tradition in the Senate, whereby when three senators from a state objected to the nomination of a ministerial nominee, such a person was not confirmed.

He noted that all the three senators from the state had objected to Adesiyan’s nomination, stressing that their objection was not based on partisan politicking, but on the grounds of credibility crises.

The other two senators are Mudashir Hussain, Babajide Omoworare.

However, the three senators were unable to prevent Adesiyan’s endorsement as majority of the lawmakers confirmed him when the Senate President opted for a quick voice vote.

Mark said that since the court had discharged and acquitted the nominee, the Senate would go ahead and confirm him since the voice vote went in his favour.

He advised the confirmed nominees to bring additional value on board and not act as though they were a government of their own, but work with all stakeholders.

“You must bring value to the transformation agenda and don’t act as masters, but as servants called to serve in this difficult period of our country,” he said.