PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari and Senate President Bukola Saraki rose from Wednesday night’s meeting the former held with leadership of the National Assembly, resolving to end all distractions and get on with the business of steering the ship of state.

Saraki, who spoke to State House correspondents at the end of the meeting which was at the instance of the President, also said it was a welcome effort to smoothen relationship between the executive and the legislative arms of government.

Meanwhile, the upper legislative chamber has directed its committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions to conclude investigations on all petitions received against the nominees and submit report before the commencement of the screening exercise.

It also promised to strictly apply all the conditions set by the constitution, Senate Standing Rule and Traditions as well as relevant laws of Nigeria in the screening and confirmation of ministerial nominees.

In another development, senators of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday met behind closed doors to consider the criteria set by the Senate for the confirmation of nominees sent by Buhari for the post of ministers.

Though they refused to brief correspondents at the end of the one hour meeting, sources close to the party said they resolved to reject piecemeal presentation of the list of minister nominees.

Sources at the PDP senators meeting revealed that they resolved to send message to the President through Senate President Bukola Saraki for onward delivery to Buhari.

It was gathered that the Senators would be prepared to stall the screening process if Saraki did not read the remaining list of ministerial nominees at the start of sitting on Tuesday.

“The Senators of the PDP are united and they have taken a stand on the ministerial screening. After adopting the procedures already ratified at the executive session of all senators, the PDP caucus resolved to also demand a full list of nominees by Tuesday; else they will have no other option than to stall the process.

“The Senators are of the view that the nation, having waited for four months cannot continue to wait in perpetuity for the full complement of ministers to assume office,” a source at the meeting said.

It also emerged yesterday that the Senate has decided to add eight new standing committees to the existing 57 to bring the number to 65.

Saraki said: “The meeting was an initiative of the President for an interaction with the leadership of the National Assembly. It was a very useful session, being the first one. This kind of interaction helps in ensuring smooth relationship between the two arms of government.

“We discussed a number of issues; some of the plans. The general commitment is that yes, the National Assembly has legislators from different parties but now we are representing Nigeria. We have a common goal to see that we work together for the interest of the country as a whole.”

According to him, the President and the lawmakers resolved at the meeting not to allow any distractions as they get set to pilot the affairs of Nigeria.

He noted that interactions between arms of government had helped democracy to work in different climes, saying that they had resolved to work together in the interest of the country and to deliver on their electoral promises.

“We are talking about what will make Nigeria work, we are talking about the promises we made during elections. Those are the big issues we are talking about and to ensure that there are no distractions. The focus is to ensure that the executive arm does things in the interest of the country.

“It is normal in democratic setting, from time to time, you see the parliament talking with the executive. That is how to make things work.

“What we are taking away is for Nigerians to be confident that government is working. We are committed to work together and it is going to be for the good of Nigerians at large. It is a good development. We are all committed to what we are all elected to do: to make Nigeria work,” he submitted.

Briefing journalists shortly after a closed- door executive session, chairman of the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Media and Publicity‎, Dino Melaye, said that the provision of the constitution that at least a minister would be appointed from every state of the federation would not be ignored.

He, however, said that Buhari would be expected to honour his promise of submitting the remaining list of nominees from the 15 states that were not covered in the first batch.

On the fate of those nominees against whom petitions have been received by the Senate, Melaye said that the confirmation of such nominees would be determined by the outcome of the investigation into the petitions.

Saraki had during the plenary session specifically directed the committee presided over by Senator Samuel Anyanwu ( PDP-Imo ) to give accelerated consideration to all the petitions received against the nominees and submit report to the Senate before the commencement of the screening on Tuesday .

The provision of the constitution about qualifications to comply with before being confirmed as a minister is ‎Section 147(5) which states that: “‎No person shall be appointed as a minister of the Government of the Federation unless he is qualified for election as a member of the House of Representatives and those conditions to meet before being elected as a member of the House of Representatives are clearly spelt out in ‎Sections 65 and 66.”

On the decision to ensure that those who breached the Code of Conduct ‎law were disqualified, Melaye said the Senate Rule had already made it mandatory for nominees to comply with the law, adding that the Senate would not waive it.

Section 120 of the Senate Rule states: “The Senate shall not consider the nomination of any person who has held any public office as contained in Part 11 of the fifth schedule to the constitution prior to his nomination unless there is written evidence that he has declared his assets and liabilities as required by Section 11(1) of part 1of the fifth schedule to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Such declaration shall be required for scrutiny by the senators

All nominees should also submit themselves to finger print clearance by the Force Criminal Investigation Department of the Nigeria Police Force.”

Providing a detailed explanation of the discussion at the executive session, Melaye said: “In our executive session this morning, we considered a number of issues that had to do with the approach, the procedure for the screening of the ministerial nominees. So, we developed two modalities for the screening of the ministerial nominees.

The first criterion is using constitutional provisions as stipulated in the 1999 Constitution (as amended) as a fundamental procedure for the screening of ministerial nominees.

And we will be considering Section 147(3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; and Section 147 too.