Published 31st Jul, 2023

The Nigerian Senate commenced the screening of ministerial nominees forwarded to it by President Bola Tinubu on Monday.

Among the nominees slated for screening today was Professor Joseph Terlumun Utsev, who hails from the Buruku Local Government Area of Benue State.

Utsev listed his academic and professional accomplishments spanning close to two decades before senators, but taking a cursory look at his resume, Senator Mukhail Adetokunbo Abiru, representing Lagos East Senatorial District, raised a question about the nominee’s date of birth and when he commenced his childhood education.

Abiru stated that Utsev’s resume showed he was born in 1980 and finished his primary school in 1989. Considering the short space between his date of birth and completion of primary education, some senators shared Abiru’s sentiment, while some claimed it could be a typographical error.

Responding, the Benue State-born academic maintained that the period stated in his resume is accurate.

Godswill Akpabio, the Senate President, said, “You must be exceptionally brilliant.”

He, however, interjected a senator who claimed the inaccuracy was a typographical mistake. Akpabio told him that he was not in a position to clarify the discrepancy because he was not a classmate of the nominee.

There was no clear response from the ministerial nominee to the inaccuracy during the exercise. The discrepancy led to a controversy that lingered for some minutes before the discussion shifted to other issues.

Tinubu had sent a list of 28 names to the Senate for screening and confirmation. When confirmed, the nominees will become members of the executive arm heading different ministries.

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