Odimegwu and a former presidential candidate, Prof. Pat Utomi, are
among the ministerial nominees that have been screened by the
Department of State Service, The PUNCH reports.
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).
The PUNCH learnt that the screening of the nominees had been concluded
on Friday. Buhari had last week at a press briefing in Accra, Ghana,
that he would name members of his cabinet this month.
Our correspondents gathered that some of the nominees had appeared
before the DSS.
None of the names on the list however confirmed that they had been
screened when our correspondents contacted them on Sunday.
It was gathered that they had been instructed not to leak details of
their screening to the media.
''What was done was not physical screening but mainly background
checking," one of the already-screened nominees told one of our
correspondents late on Sunday.
Multiple sources within the All Progressives Congress told our
correspondent on Sunday that 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 convinced
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.
A source within the party added power blocs within Falana's home
state, Ekiti, might not be disposed to the choice of the human rights
lawyer because he is not a member of the APC.
The APC has three former governors in Ekiti State: Niyi Adebayo, Segun
Oni and Kayode Fayemi.
An APC top official said, "Falana has already been screened by the
DSS. However, Buhari is closer to Malami who is from the North."
Sources within the party also told our correspondent that Utomi, a
renowned economist and former presidential candidate of the African
Democratic Congress, had been screened by the DSS and the police.
Utomi, who is now a member of the APC, was one of biggest critics of
former President Goodluck Jonathan's government.
It was learnt that Edun, who served under former Tinubu as Lagos State
governor, had also been screened by security agencies.
It was learnt that Edun was being considered to emerge as the Minister
of Finance while Utomi for Minister of Economic Planning.
Sources within the party told our correspondent that Tinubu convinced
Buhari to appoint Edun based on his antecedents.
He said the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Babatunde
Fowler, Edun and Utomi might be given the task of reviving the
economy.
A source said, "Oil prices are dwindling and Nigeria will need to
diversify but in the short term, increasing the nation's Internally
Generated Revenue is the key. Tinubu explained to Buhari that when
former President Olusegun Obasanjo withheld Lagos State allocations,
Edun and Fowler helped to ensure that the state's IGR increased
exponentially.''
It was learnt that Odimegwu, was nominated by the President.
Odimegwu fell out with former President Goodluck Jonathan when he
openly criticised the Federal Government. He had resigned and then
travelled to the United States.
Two weeks to the March 28 presidential election, however, Odimegwu
openly supported Buhari
Buhari and called him 'the best man for the job.'
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.
Repeated calls made to the telephones of Odimegwu and Utomi were not
responded to.
One of the nominees who picked his call, simply said, "I don't know if
screening has been done or completed."
Another nominee, who pleaded anonymity, 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."
The PUNCH learnt that the report of the DSS screening would be sent to
the President this week.
A top DSS operative, who confided in The PUNCH, said the agency had
conducted extensive checks on the nominees, including their financial
transactions and their records with the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission and the police.
The Special Adviser (Media) to the President, Femi Adesina, had on
Wednesday told The PUNCH that security screening "is naturally a
behind-the-scenes matter."
The DSS could not be reached for comment on Sunday as it had yet to
appoint a spokesperson.
The PUNCH had on Thursday reported that the DSS had commenced the
screening of ministerial nominees sent to it by the President.
-PUNCH
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