Just In: Ministerial nominee slumps during Senate screening

One of the newly appointed ministerial nominees by President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday collapsed during screening by the Senate.

The nominee, Balarebe Abbas Lawal, from Kaduna State, who was the second ministerial nominee to be screened, had finished making his presentation to the lawmakers and was about taking questions from them when he fell to the floor.

Several lawmakers were seen rushing to his aid, while the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, was heard calling for water, sugar, and a doctor.

The Senate, thereafter, went into closed door session while efforts were being made to revive the nominee.

What you need to know about Balarebe Abbas Lawal?

Balarabe Abbas hails from Kachia Local Government, Kaduna State.

Born in Zaria on February 5, 1958, Balarabe attended the famous Kofar Kuyambana Primary School, Zaria from 1964 to 1970 where he obtained his Primary School Leaving Certificate. He was admitted into the famous elite Barewa College Zaria in 1971, where his path and that of el-Rufai crossed. He later proceeded to the then Katsina College of Arts, Science and Technology, Zaria for his higher education.

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Balarabe Abbas holds M.Sc in Political Science from ABU and has attended several courses including the General Management Course (GMC), Administrative College of Nigeria (ASCON) Topo-Badagary, Lagos; Management Trainers Course (MTC) Thames Valley College now Thames Valley University Slough UK; Privatisation and Infrastructure Development Course at the Center for Financial Engineering and Development ( CFED) based in Washington DC, USA; the Public Private Partnership Course at the Institute of Public Private Partnership (IP3) in Washington DC USA.

He also attended the Managing People Well Course in the Executive Management Development Program of Cranfield University, United Kingdom and the International Visitor Program (IVLP) of the State Department, the Leadership in Development at John F Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University Boston, MA, and Schulich School of Business Executive Education Centre of York University, Toronto, Canada.

He was at different times a Special Assistant to the Minister of State for Education, Minister of State for Army, Ministry of Defence, and also served as Secretary to the immediate past governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-rufai, from 2015 to 2023.