This followed last week’s screening of the ministerial nominees by the security and anti-graft agencies.
National Mirror exclusively gathered that some of the nominees have been screened by the State Security Service, SSS.
“As at Wednesday last week, four of the ministerial nominees have been screened,” an insider told National Mirror yesterday. The source added that screening is being done in batches.
A source close to the Presidency told National Mirror that the screening of the ministerial nominees started last week following a correspondence the President sent to the Director General of the agency.
The source added that the result of the screening is expected to be received by the President this week on his arrival from Israel where he had gone since last week for pilgrimage.
“We are confident that there won’t be issues with the nominees because a lot of background checks have been carried out by the Presidency before the names were sent for security checks.
“We are trying to avoid a situation where ministerial nominees were dropped because of security issues. Don’t forget that a good number of the nominees have held public offices before and have distinguished themselves in their chosen careers. The nominees are both technocrats and politicians,” a presidential aide told our correspondent at the weekend.
One of the nominees, who is a former federal lawmaker, confirmed to National Mirror that he concluded his screening with the security agency last week Wednesday.
“I was at the security agency for screening on Wednesday. You know this is an essential aspect of the process. As a ministerial nominee, the security agency must clear you of criminal record before Mr. President forwards your name to the Senate for screening and confirmation.
“I have done the needed and I’m only hopeful that my name and that of other nominees who have gone through the process would soon be made public. As at the time I did my screening, four other nominees had done theirs,” one of the ministerial nominees told National Mirror yesterday.
Spokeswoman of SSS, Marylyn Ogar, did not pick her call or respond to text message sent to her phone yesterday.
It was learnt that former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Umar Ghaali Na’Abba, has been nominated from Kano State, while Senator Isaiah Balat, Special Adviser to Vice- President Namadi Sambo on Special Duties, was picked to represent Kaduna State.
The incumbent chairman of the Federal Emergency Road Management Agency, FERMA, Mr. Jide Adeniji, from Osun State also made the list.
Former chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Iyiola Omisore, had submitted four nominees – Adeniji, Francis Fadahunsi, a retired Customs officer; Mrs. Remi Olowu, former chairperson, National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA; Mrs. Funmi Olaseinde, a former local government chairman – for Osun State out of which Adeniji was picked. Adeniji is a close friend of the President.
It is not clear if former governor of Adamawa State, Boni Haruna, made the final list. A source said the Presidency conceded the Adamawa slot to the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur.
It was learnt that the corruption cases against Haruna and former governor of Jigawa State, Senator Saminu Turaki, worked against their emergence.
Chairman, PDP Governors’ Forum, Godswill Akpabio, nominated one of his associates for the Akwa Ibom slot.
It was learnt that President Jonathan sidelined the aggrieved PDP governors in the choice of the ministerial nominees.
For instance, in Rivers State, the President singlehandedly picked the nominee to replace Ama Pepple unlike what obtained in the past when Governor Rotimi Amaechi was the one that picked the state’s representative.
The same thing is applicable in Niger, Kano and Jigawa states where Governors Aliyu Babangida, Rabiu Kwankwaso and Sule Lamido were sidelined.
It was further learnt that the zonal ministerial slot for the South-West has been taken away from Ogun State, thus leaving out the input of former President Olusegun Obasanjo in the selection process. Lagos is being favoured to produce the zonal slot.
President Jonathan had on Wednesday September 11 sacked nine ministers. The affected ministers were Foreign Affairs, Olugbenga Ashiru; Education, Ruqqayatu Rufai; National Planning, Shamsudeen Usman; Land and Urban Development, Ama Pepple; Environment, Hadiza Mailafia; Science and Technology, Ita Ewa.
Three Ministers of State were also affected by the exercise. They included Defence, Erelu Olusola Obada; Power, Hajia Zainab Kuchi, and Agriculture, Tijani Bukar.
Before the September 11 sack, the President had on August 26 relieved the Minister of Youth Development, Inuwa Abdulkadir, of his appointment over the outcome of the recent controversial election of new executives of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, NYCN.
Source: National Mirror
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