The waiting game for the submission of the list of ministerial nominees will end this week, Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, has said.
Lawan said that President Muhammadu Buhari who had been working hard to conclude work on the ministerial list would submit the list to the Senate before the end of the week.
Lawan spoke in plenary on Wednesday following a Point of Order by Senator Albert Bassey Akpan (Akwa Ibom North East.
Senator Akpan who came under personal explanation prayed the Senate to mount pressure on President Buhari to transmit the ministerial nominee list to the chamber for consideration and approval.
The Akwa Ibom North East senator reminded his colleagues that the Senate would embark on its annual recess within the next two weeks.
He stressed the need for President Buhari to transmit the list before the recess.
Akpan said, “Mr. President, in view of the yearly long recess of the Senate and the House of Representatives, will embark upon in two weeks time, there is need to urge President Muhammadu Buhari to forward the much expected ministerial list to the Senate for screening and confirmation.
“This is very important because if such list is not made available for the required legislative attention before we embark on the long recess, there will be no ministers and by extension, the federal cabinet for the President to work with till September.
“Making the list more urgent now from the President before our long recess, is the fact that if it is not made available, the concerted effort being made by both arms of government to return to the yearly budget cycle to January- December, will be defeated.
“On this note, I call on the President of the Senate to inform President Muhammadu Buhari of the need for the ministerial list before we embark on recess.”
Lawan informed his colleagues that the list would be released before the end of the week.
He said: “Let me on the strength of this motion, inform the Senate that the Executive arm of government is working very hard on the ministerial list.
“In fact, the list, based on information at my disposal, will be forwarded to us by the President before the end of this week.
“May I, therefore, appeal to us all, to be ready to make the necessary sacrifice in terms of sufficient time, to be spent in carrying out thorough screening and confirmation of appointments of the expected ministerial nominees.”
Lawan said that senators should be prepared to make the necessary sacrifice to screen the nominees when the list is submitted.
