Senate confirms seven ministerial nominees

The senate has confirmed the seven ministerial nominees recently appointed by President Bola Tinubu.

The nominees were confirmed after a hearing was held on the floor of the senate on Wednesday.

The confirmed nominees are Nentawe Yilwatda, minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation; Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi, minister of labour and employment; Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, minister of state for foreign affairs; and Yusuf Abdullahi Ata, minister of state, housing and urban development.

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

Last week, Tinubu sacked five ministers and asked the senate to confirm these nominees to fill vacant and new portfolios in his cabinet.

During the confirmation hearing, the appointees spoke on how they intend to use their offices for the good of Nigerians.

Yilwatda said the federal government needs to have geospatial data so its resources could be well channeled to the poor.

“If there is no geospatial data of poor people you do not know how many people to reach in your community or senatorial district,” he said.

On his part, Dingyadi said he has what it takes to negotiate with organised labour.

“What is important is that we try to carry them along. I want to say I am ready and willing to take everybody along,” the labour minister said.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu said she would work to ensure that Nigerian mission buildings abroad are in good condition.

“It is true that because of funding most ambassadors are constrained to renovate mission buildings,” she said.

The nominations were confirmed after Senate President Godswill Akpabio put them to vote.

Akpabio said he was impressed by the quality of the nominations.

“I think Mr President took his time in selecting these ministers,” he said.