Bianca: I was nervous during ministerial screening

Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, minister-designate, says she was “quite nervous” during the ministerial screening process.

She added that the guidance of Basheer Lado, special adviser to the president on senate matters, helped her during the exercise.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu spoke in Abuja on behalf of the other ministers-designate at a meeting with Lado.

The former ambassador said the presidential aide told them all they needed to know during the screening exercise.

“We cannot thank you enough for how you have navigated us all through this process and how you have made us quite comfortable through the whole procedure,” she said.

“I speak for myself, I don’t know about anybody else, I was quite nervous, we were just wondering basically if this day will come and go.

“But from the onset, each person here, you made the effort to get in touch personally, speak to us, tell us everything that we needed to do, all the documentation that needed to be done and saw us through this, from beginning to completion.

“So, I congratulate all my colleagues here, but on behalf of all of us, we just say a very, very big thank you. We really appreciate your efforts.

“We appreciate your considerations, we appreciate your sacrifice, because we were calling you at odd hours of the night and you were always available to speak to us and to guide us through this.

“So I thank you so very much on behalf of all of us here.”

On Wednesday, the senate confirmed Nentawe Yilwatda as minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation, Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi as minister of labour and employment, Odumegwu-Ojukwu as minister of state for foreign affairs, and Yusuf Abdullahi Ata as minister of state for housing and urban development.

Others are Idi Mukhtar Maiha as minister of livestock development, Jumoke Oduwole as minister of trade and investment, and Suwaiba Said Ahmad as the minister of state for education.

During Odumegwu-Ojukwu’s screening, Senate President Godswill Akpabio had to tell senators to restrict themselves to her resume and stop commenting on her beauty.