FCT, Abuja -                                        A former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, on Tuesday, criticized the screening process adopted by the senate.

He said the screening of some ministerial nominees by simply asking them to “bow and go” was “a display of comic relief.”

In a series of tweets, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, chieftain insisted that the current screening was a “pitiful joke.”

He tweeted: “When I was nominated to be a Minister by OBJ 13 years ago in 2006 I was screened by the Senate for no less than two hours and thirty gruelling and very difficult minutes on live television. There is no question that they did not ask me and there is none that I did not answer.

“In those days the Senate had great men and powerful intellectuals in its ranks. What we see today in the name of Ministerial screening is a pitiful joke. “Smile, show your teeth, bow and go” is NOT screening it is a crass display of comic relief which is far below the Senate.”

Since the commencement of the current screening, the senate had asked several of the ministerial nominees to take a “bow and go”.

CEOAfrica reports that the Senate presided over by Ahmad Lawan has confirmed the 43 ministerial nominees appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari.

However, only 20 were grilled while 23 were confirmed without being asked a single question.

The 23 nominees, who were not questioned include Chris Ngige, Hadi Sirika, Muhammad Bello, Gbemisola Saraki, Pauline Tallen, Sharon Ikeazor, Lai Mohammed, Rotimi Amaechi, Timipre Sylva, Zainab Ahmed, Godswill Akpabio, Sa’adiya Umar Farouk and Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo.

Others include Dr. Ramatu Aliyu, George Akume, Olorunnimbe Mamora, Tayo Alasoadura, Maryam Katagum, Abubakar Aliyu, Mustapha Shehuri, Ambassador Zubairu Dada, Emeka Nwajiuba and Maigari Dingyadi.