Ministerial nominees sent to the Senate for confirmation will begin work prior to their legislative screening in order to hit the ground running, as stated by the Presidency.
This was revealed by President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, in an interview with State House Correspondents yesterday, following the submission of 28 candidates to the Senate for confirmation.
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Gbajabiamila stated that the majority of the nominees had been around the President offering suggestions before their names were forwarded to the Senate.
According to the former House Speaker, he had also made himself accessible to provide advice to the President prior to his appointment as chief of staff.
“As far as Mr. President is concerned, he has his cabinet,” Gbajabiamila said in response to a query about how soon the candidates would commence work after their confirmation.
I’m sure there will be those working behind the scenes, providing him guidance, even now, before confirmation, because there isn’t time to waste.
They may not begin fully officially until they are confirmed, but I’m sure they will continue to provide advice to Mr. President here and there.”
“Even before I officially assumed my office as Chief of Staff, I was doing some skeletal work and advising Mr. President as his presumptive Chief of Staff.”
For all intents and purposes, work should begin in earnest for them in the next week or two since I don’t see the Senate spending too much time on the confirmation, not because they won’t do a thorough job, but because they will.
But they will temper it with the realisation that, in this day and age, time is of the essence.”
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Gbajabiamila responded to the notion that the President assign portfolios to the nominees, saying that while this would have been ideal, “what happens if you change your mind?
Do you then bring the person back for screening again?”
