While Nigerians are eagerly awaiting the appointments of ministers, some more reasons have surfaced that could explain why President Muhammadu Buhari is delaying in naming his ministers.
Nigerian Tribune said that the decision to postpone the list was partially because Buhari does not want to announce the names to the former director general of Department of Security Services Ita Ekpeyong as the agency plays a key role in the screening of nominees.
It was learnt that while the media reported that the president would hit the ground running upon his swearing-in, the DSS had reportedly organised a team to vet the ministerial list directly it was made accessible by Nigeria’s leader. But the security agency, under Ekpeyong, had to drop the team when nothing was approaching.
Insiders in Buhari’s government said the president didn’t want the DSS under Ekpeyong to handle his list of ministers, a leftover from the bad blood of the presidential campaign period. Meanwhile, Ekpeyong was fired from his position in what was seen as the first of the security chiefs to be removed by the incumbent government. So while the president was still considering his cabinet, hatred for the DSS under Ekpeyong was responsible for the postponement in unveiling the ministerial list by the Buhari-led government.
Sources in the administration said that while Buhari was said to have compiled a list containing some of the names of his would-be ministers all along, he denied to make it accessible to the security agency, which normally carries out some vetting before the screening by the senate.
Following the appointment of Lawan Daura as the director general of the DSS Buhari could make available the ministerial list any moment from now,It should be noted that senate can’t start screening appointees whose curriculum vitae is not accompanied by security reports from the DSS.
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