Senate suspends screening of ministerial nominee over security clearance
The Senate on Wednesday suspended the screening of Kingsley Udeh, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), as a minister, due to the absence of security clearance.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the suspension of the screening during the plenary.
Mr Akpabio said the exercise would not proceed until lawmakers received a security report on the nominee.
“The confirmation of the ministerial nominee would have been next on the list, but we need security clearance,” the senate president said.
Security reports are among the key requirements for the screening and confirmation of nominees by the National Assembly. Such reports typically involve background checks conducted by the State Security Service (SSS) and the Nigeria Police Force.
Mr Udeh, an indigene of Enugu State, was nominated by President Bola Tinubu and his name was transmitted to the Senate for confirmation on Tuesday. The senate president read the president’s letter during plenary and referred it to the Committee of the Whole for consideration.
Although President Tinubu did not specify the portfolio for Mr Udeh, there are strong indications that he may be assigned to the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology.
The position became vacant after the former minister, Uche Nnaji, resigned following PREMIUM TIMES investigations revealing that he forged his bachelor’s degree and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate.
Mr Udeh, like Mr Nnaji, hails from Enugu State.