FURTHER details have emerged as to the true reasons the government of
President Muhammadu Buhari has not released the list of ministers
expected to serve in the administration for vetting by relevant security
agencies.
The Department of State Services (DSS) plays a key role in the screening
of appointees, especially ministerial and ambassadorial nominees, but
sources said in Abuja that the decision to delay the list was partly due
to the fact that the president did not want to release the names to the
former Director General of DSS, Mr Ita Ekpeyong.
The bad blood generated between the DSS and the campaign organisation
of General Muhammadu Buhari had informed the procurement of a private
security organisation by the campaign team, in place of DSS operatives.
It was gathered that the Buhari team had carried the animosity over
into governance and had signposted Ekpeyong and the DSS as an enemy.
It was further gathered that while media reports were indicating that
the president would hit the ground running upon his swearing-in, the DSS
had constituted a team to vet the ministerial list immediately it was
made available by the president.
But the organisation, under Ekpeyong, had to disband the team when nothing was forthcoming, it was gathered.
Sources in the administration said Buhari did not want the DSS under
Ekpeyong to handle his list of ministers, a carryover from the bad blood
of the presidential campaign period.
Ekpeyong was, last week, relieved of his position in what was seen as
the first of the security chiefs to be so axed by the administration.
It was gathered though the president was till compiling names of his
ministerial nominees, hatred for the DSS under Ekpeyong was responsible
for the delay in releasing the ministerial list by the Buhari-led
administration.
Sources in government said that while the president was said to have
compiled a list containing some of the names of his would-be ministers
all along, he refused to make it available to the DSS, which ordinarily
carries out some vetting before the screening by the Senate.
A source in the polity said the president could make available the
ministerial list to the DSS any moment from now, following the
resumption of Lawan Daura as the Director General of the Service.
The Senate, it is noted, will not commence screening of appointees
whose curriculum vitae is not accompanied by security reports from the
DSS.
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