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former Managing Director of Nigerian Breweries
Limited, Mr. Festus 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
PUNCHlearnt authoritatively on Sunday.
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).
Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Pat utomi, Ifueko Omogui-
Okauru, Festus Odumegwu, Femi Falana
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 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.”
In his reaction, Oyinlola said he had not been screened
as a ministerial nominee.
He said, ‘‘To the best of my knowledge, I have not
been called. May be they called others, not me.”
The former governor, however, said he was one of the
nine persons, whose names were submitted to Governor
Rauf Aregbesola – as a ministerial nominee – having
been picked by his senatorial district.
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 exclusively reported that
the DSS had commenced the screening of ministerial
nominees sent to it by the President.
source http://saharareporters.com/2015/09/13/buharis-ministerial-list-nigeria’s-department-state-security-screens-odimegwu-falana

Untill it's confirm and publish, I can't believe any list for now. FTC for the first time. I want to know if there's anything attached to it because the ways guy's use to shout ftc made me to wonder.