
The Department of State Service (DSS) recently received a much awaited
list of 36 ministerial nominees for security screening. While DSS
carries on the screening indications appeared that three immediate past
governors, Babatunde Fashola, Rotimi Amaechi and Kayode Fayemi, have
supposedly failed. Three former governors worked hard for Buhari’s presidential campaign
to and were seen as top candidates for positions in the government.
Nigerian Pilot reports that the DSS did not clear three ministerial
appointees based on claims of corruption brought against them before the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent
Corrupt Practices and other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC). The
source said that the security agency supposedly denied to clear Amaechi,
Fashola, Fayemi because of a series of petitions written against them
over accusations bordering on money laundering, fraud and misuse.
The insider further added that when the trio appeared before the
screening committee, they were opposed with the appeals and other
related documents attached to the petitions. They reportedly have
received orders from Buhari that any of the appointees with any harmful
and fraud related issues should not be cleared by the security agency.
Festus Odimegwu, a former managing director of Nigerian Breweries
Limited, and a former presidential candidate, Pat Utomi, are also among
the ministerial appointees that have been screened.
Those already said to have been screened as nominees for President
Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet also include a former Governor of Osun State,
Olagunsoye Oyinlola; and a Lagos-lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN). Also on the
list are a former Chief of Army, Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazu (retd.);
an ex-chief executive of the Federal Inland Revenue, Mrs. Ifueko
Omoigui-Okaru; a former finance commissioner in Lagos State, Mr. Wale
Edun; and a former National Legal Adviser to the defunct Congress for
Progressive Change, Abubakar Malami (SAN). According to some sources
Falana was favoured by a camp in the party to emerge as the Minister of
Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation. A top APC chieftain said
the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and the national leader of the
APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, had persuaded Buhari to appoint Falana. Tinubu
and Osinbajo were said to have told Buhari that appointing Falana, who
he jailed over 30 years ago, would boost his image as a ‘converted
democrat.’ It was, however, learnt that Malami was being favoured by the
President. The APC has three former governors in Ekiti State: Niyi
Adebayo, Segun Oni and Kayode Fayemi. “Falana has already been screened
by the DSS.
However, Buhari is closer to Malami who is from the North,” a source
from APC said. Utomi, a famous economist and former presidential
candidate of the African Democratic Congress, had been screened by the
DSS and the police. Edun, who served under former Tinubu as Lagos state
governor, had also been screened by security agencies. Odimegwu,
nominated by the president, fell out with former president Goodluck
Jonathan when he openly criticised the federal government. Odimegwu is
also close to former President Olusegun Obasanjo. Oyinlola, a one-time
secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, defected to the APC shortly
before the Osun State governorship election and he is a close associate
of Obasanjo. Another appointee, who asked not to be named, said:
“Although I have met the director-general of the DSS twice, I don’t
think such visits could be regarded as screening. “I understand the
service has done its research on ministerial nominees. For now, nobody
is sure of anything until the names are announced.” See full list below: