The names of those who would form President Muhammadu Buhari’s ministerial cabinet emerged over the weekend with the likes of former Lagos state governor, Babatunde Fashola, and his Rivers State counterpart, Rotimi Amaechi, missing on the list.
President Buhari had reportedly submitted names of his proposed ministers to the Department of State Security Service, DSS, for screening just as he assured Nigerians of his plans to announce new ministers before September 30.
Newspaper reports indicate that the former Managing Director of Nigerian Breweries Limited, Festus Odimegwu, human right activist and lawyer, Femi Falana and former presidential candidate, Pat Utomi made the list of ministerial nominees.
Others who are reportedly being screened to serve in Buhari’s cabinet are former governor of Osun State, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazu; former chief executive of the Federal Inland Revenue, FIRS, Ifueko Omoigui-Okaru; a former finance commissioner in Lagos, Wale Edun; and am ex-National Legal Adviser to the defunct Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, Abubakar Malami.
After security screening, President Buhari is expected to send the names of his ministerial nominees to the Senate for confirmation.
The President has been criticized in many quarters for not appointing ministers three months after taking office.