Just in: Senate confirms Buhari’s seven ministerial nominees

The seven ministerial nominees sent last week by President Muhammadu Buhari to the Senate was on Wednesday confirmed.

The nominees were screened from noon till about 4:37 p.m.

Confirmed as ministers-designate are Henry Ikechukwu Ikoh (Abia), Umana Okon Umana (Akwa-Ibom), and Ekumankama Joseph Nkama (Ebonyi), Goodluck Nana Opiah (Imo), Umar Ibrahim El-Yakub (Kano), Ademola Adewole Adegoroye (Ondo), and Udi Odum (Rivers).

Answering lawmakers’ questions, Mr. Ikechukwu Ikoh, suggested that in tackling the issue of job creation, operational licences should be granted to operators of modular refineries in the country.

Mr Umana Okon Umana from Akwa-Ibom State, who is the Managing Director of the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority, stressed the need to step up production capacity to boost foreign exchange earnings and reduce the country’s dependence on importation of petroleum products.

Ekumankama Joseph Nkama, on his part, admonished young Nigerians to tap into new areas of investment, so as to foster self-reliance and productivity, particularly in the country’s trade sector.

On the lingering strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Nkama called on the federal government and ASUU to reach a compromise.

He also asked the National Assembly to provide additional funding for the educational sector to meet some of the needs of the union.

“There will be the need for compromise. For a very long time ASUU has been sticking to their guns that all the agreements reached earlier must be implemented.

“And we know that from the same source – the same national purse – there are several contending interest seeking for attention.

“My advise will be that federal government and ASUU will have to come to a compromise, and through this, we would be able to solve the issue of ASUU strike once and for all.

“I know the importance of budgetary provision. I want to appeal to the Senate that when the budget is being made for the coming year, there should be adequate provision for the education sector so that some of these needs that the ASUU members are asking for as a union will be met,” he told the lawmakers.