Ministerial list: DSS begins screening as Buhari set to drop nominees with fake records

The Department of State Security Services (DSS) on Friday invited all the 21 candidates named by President Muhammadu Buhari for security checks.

The verification includes scrutiny of educational certificates, checks for any past prosecution, among others.
Also, Nigeria Police Force might subject the nominees to another documentation process, The Nation reports.

After the ongoing checks, a security report may be submitted to President Muhammadu Buhari and the Senate by the DSS on the suitability of the nominees.


At the DSS office yesterday were Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazzau, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, Suleiman Adamu, Chief Audu Ogbeh, Amina Mohammed, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Musa Ibeto, among others.

All the nominees were asked to fill Personal Identification Form (PIF) which requires data about their places of birth, schools attended, work experience and past offices held.

“The details provided will lead to further investigation by the DSS to confirm the veracity or otherwise of what they have filled in the PIF,” a source told The Nation.

“The security agencies are paying attention to the educational certificates of most of the nominees to avoid a situation where some Nigerians will join issues with these candidates.

“The essence of inviting these nominees is to certify that what they have pleaded is what they have. You will recall that some past leaders of the National Assembly tampered with their age and a few others presented fake certificates. The era of bloated Curriculum Vitae is gone. We do not want any nominee to embarrass the President in the Senate.

“We have had instances in the past where ministers could not even locate their certificates or past records of service.”

“Any nominee with any challenge capable of creating image crisis for the government or unfit to be a minister may be dropped.”