Ministerial screening: Senate suspends probe against Amaechi

The Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions on Monday called off the consideration of the petitions it received against the nomination of former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi.

Recall that a group based in Port Harcourt, The Integrity Group, had forwarded a petition to the Senate, alleging financial impropriety against Amaechi with the aim of preventing him from being confirmed as minister.

The petitioners, who sent their petition to the Senate through Senator George Thompson Sekibo and two other Senators, claimed that Amaechi mismanaged N70 billion Rivers State funds.

The Senate committee, after a brief meeting with Amaechi at the National Assembly, said the subject matter of the petition which is related to the white paper on a report of a Judicial Panel of Inquiry is already a subject of court case.

The former Rivers governor, who appeared before the committee in company with his former Commissioner for Information, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari and two members of the House of Representatives, told the panelists that the matter upon which the committee invited him is pending before a court of competent jurisdiction.

The Chairman of the committee, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, had wanted to know from Amaechi if the matter was awaiting court pronouncement.

Anyanwu after hearing from Amaechi noted that in line with Section 7 of the Senate Standing Rules, it would amount to sub-judice to consider the petition.

VANGUARD NIGERIA