​Melaye, Ben Bruce named Senate’s spokespersons

Kogi State senator, Dino Melaye, and his Bayelsa counterpart, Ben Bruce, are leading the Senate’s media team, the president of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, announced Wednesday.
The two lawmakers have been some of the most controversial in the eighth senate, with a constant presence in the media and social media.

Mr. Melaye, an ally of the senate president, triggered storm on Tuesday after he accompanied Mr. Saraki’s wife, Toyin, to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Tuesday, where she was grilled on allegation of fraud.
The former House of Representatives member also led the bloc of senators who pushed for Mr. Saraki’s emergence as senate president.
Mr. Bruce, who owns Silverbird television, has become known for his controversial tweets since joining the senate.
The two legislators are members of the senate’s ad hoc committee on publicity, alongside Enyinaya Abaribe, the senate’s former spokesperson, and two others, Mr. Saraki announced.
The team is led by Mr. Melaye.
The senate president also announced the constitution of the Senate Selection Committee, Rules and Business Committee, Ethics and Privileges Committee and ad hoc Committee on Publicity.
According to him, the 18-member Senate Selection Committee, which is charged with the responsibility of coordinating other committees, is to be headed by Ibrahim Gobir (APC Sokoto East).
The Rules and Business Committee will be headed by Babajide Omoworare (APC Osun East), while Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, will be his Deputy as Kabir Marafa (APC Zamfara Central), Barnabas Gemade (APC Benue) and five others are members.
Samuel Anyanwu (APC Imo east) is to head the 11-member Ethics and Privileges Committee and he is to be deputised by the Deputy Leader of the Senate, Bala Ibn Na’Allah.
Meanehile, Mr. Saraki, on Wednesday, announced that the Senate would commence screening of newly appointed Service Chiefs during plenary on Thursday.
Mr. Saraki, who disclosed this during plenary on the floor of the upper chamber, urged all serving senators to be in attendance and to be prompt, adding that the screening would begin at 10 a.m.