Senate President Godswill Akpabio cautioned Senator Osita Ngwu on Wednesday for complimenting Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu’s appearance during her ministerial screening in the upper legislative chamber.
Bianca, one of seven ministerial nominees, presented her credentials to the Senate and answered questions from lawmakers. She was being considered for the role of Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.
When Akpabio opened the floor for questions, Ngwu, the Senator representing Enugu West District, began by commenting on Bianca’s beauty, prompting a rebuke from Akpabio.
“Mr President, the beautiful nominee standing before us,” the lawmaker said.
“Restrict yourself to the resume. Forget this word beautiful,” Akpabio interjected jocularly. “She didn’t put in the CV that she is beautiful.”
The conversation between Ngwu and Akpabio caused a ripple of laughter among Senators. Ngwu thereafter proceeded to laud the profile and competence of the nominee.
On his part, Enyinnaya Abaribe, the Senator representing Abia South District, said Biance’s competence and ability to perform was not in doubt.
He also commended President Bola Tinubu for nominating the “mother” of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) as a minister. “By bringing an APGA person to be a minister has already started a unity government and national integration,” Abaribe said.
The nominee was then asked to take a bow.
Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu is a distinguished diplomat, lawyer, businesswoman, and former beauty pageant titleholder.
In 2011, she was appointed by then-President Goodluck Jonathan as Senior Special Assistant on Diaspora Affairs, later serving as Nigeria’s Ambassador to Ghana and subsequently to the Kingdom of Spain. She is also Nigeria’s permanent representative to the United Nations World Tourism Organization.
As the widow of former Biafran leader Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, she holds multiple international pageant titles.