MINISTERIAL nominees whose names have been sent for security screening appear to be facing a fresh hurdle as government sources told

the Nigerian Tribune that security clearance would not be enough to make the final list.

It was confirmed on Monday that getting the security clearance was just a leg of the hurdles set by the presidency for the final nomination and confirmation by the Senate.

A source in Abuja told the Nigerian Tribune that though the list already sent to the security agencies provided an insight into the outlook of the new cabinet, it was not the final one and that the presidency could alter it at any point.

A source said that the security clearance was one necessary aspects of any appointment, as it gave the government an insight into the character of persons being appointed.

It was gathered that the presidency would further scrutinise the profiles, the security reports and other information about each of the candidates, even after they had scaled security screening hurdles.

“Passing security screening is not the final hurdle in the bid to select the ministers. It is a major one, but the president reserves the right to withdraw any nominee, if the nomination is found to be politically incorrect at any stage. There is also the issue of whether some nominees would add value to the administration based on antecedents.

“To forestall a delay of the process, the presidency had sent more than enough names for screening in recent weeks. In fact, the 270 names generated by the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) were sent to the security agencies for clearance as well. So there is a pool in each of the states that can be easily relied upon,” a source said.

Sources in the security agencies told the Nigerian Tribune that a list of 11 more nominees was being awaited.

It was gathered that the headquarters of the State Security Service and the police were busy with screening activities on Monday, as they had to close very late.

“The operatives at the security agencies concerned are busy all through the day. They all close late to clear the names so far received as they await more names this week. There was an indication that the last batch will come in on Tuesday,” a source said.

A fresh furore, however, erupted on Monday over the nomination of former Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory(FCT), Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade, as the nominee from Ekiti State.

It was gathered that petitions against his alleged anti-party activities in Ekiti had been received in Abuja.

Sources said that the former minister failed to utilise his vantage position to assist the party during the last election.

A source said that petitions against Olubolade, which indicated that the PDP could die in Ekiti if he was returned as minister were already.

“The man (former minister) is only concerned about how he would be called leader of the PDP in Ekiti, he is not doing anything to grow the party. The party in Ekiti State is afraid its days would be numbered if he emerges the minister,” a source in possession of copies of the petitions said.

However, a former Managing Director of Nigerian Breweries (NB) Plc, Chief Festus Odimegwu, was stopped at the last minute from being screened by the SSS on Monday.

It was gathered that a last minute call from the presidency prevented the screening, just as Odimegwu was arriving at the SSS headquarters.

A source said there was no finality to the screening being conducted, adding that “what happened to Odimegwu could happen to any of the nominees because there is no final list until the president puts pen to paper to forward the list to the Senate.”

Meanwhile, the Senate president, Mr David Mark, on Tuesday, said the Senate would not insist that President Jonathan attach portfolios of ministerial nominees to the ministerial list, because of constitutional constraints.

Mark, who spoke in Abuja, said the president would not be breaching any constitutional provision if he failed to attach portfolios of ministerial nominees for screening.

He said President Jonathan would have fulfilled the provisions of the constitution if he sent the names without the nominees’ portfolios, adding that though sending the list with portfolios would be a preferred option.

“That may be the preferred option so that specific questions could be asked, but that is not the constitutional requirement. The constitution wants the president to forward the names of the nominees to us and once he does that, he has fulfilled the constitutional requirement,” he said.

Mark also assured Nigerians who were sceptical about the role of the legislature that the current Assembly would win them over with people-oriented laws.

“We know most Nigerians have a wrong mindset about the National Assembly. I think with time and as we do things more positively in the interest of all Nigerians, they will come to realise that the legislators are not the devils people think they are,” he said.

On his re-election as Senate president, Mark said he worked hard for it and was in touch with all senators, adding that “I campaigned to be re-elected; I spoke to every senator-elect. I spoke to them in their caucuses. Some of them expressed reservations and I explained my position to them and they understood.”

He promised to be just, fair, transparent and “do things he can defend before God, when there would be no witness but only David Mark.”

This administration will keep shocking us here and there till person go faint. The list should have been ready before inauguration - Till now he is still shocking Nigerians and the world. Na woooo

I hope it doesn't take him six months for raise his cabinet