Buhari's Next Ministers: SSS Screens Falana, Utomi, Others

Ex-presidential candidate, Pat Utomi and ex-Managing Director of Nigerian Breweries, Festus Odimegwu are among the ministerial nominees that have been screened by the Department of State Service.

Those said to have been screened as nominees for President Muhammadu Buhari's cabinet also include the former Governor of Osun State, Olagunsoye Oyinlola; and popular lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN).

Also on the security screened list are ex-chief executive of Federal Inland Revenue, Mrs. Ifueko Omoigui-Okaru; ex-finance commissioner in Lagos State, Mr. Wale Edun; and ex-Legal Adviser to the defunct CPC, Abubakar Malami (SAN).

According to PUNCH, the screening of the nominees had been concluded on Friday. Some of the nominees had appeared before the DSS.

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 said.

Multiple sources within the APC told Punch that Falana was favoured by a camp in the party to emerge as the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation.

A chieftain said Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, had convinced Buhari to appoint Falana.

An APC top official said, "Falana has already been screened by the DSS."

Pat Utomi, a renowned economist, had also been screened by the DSS and the police.

Odimegwu, who supported Buhari and called him ‘the best man for the job’, has also been screened.