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Hurdles await Ambode’s cabinet nominees as screening begins today

By Wole Oyebade 
05 October 2015   |   12:15 am
LAGOS State House of Assembly has prepared a tough screening exercise, which begins today for prospective cabinet members selected by governor Akinwunmi Ambode.
Ambo

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode

LAGOS State House of Assembly has prepared a tough screening exercise, which begins today for prospective cabinet members selected by governor Akinwunmi Ambode.

The screening, to be conducted by a 15-man ad-hoc committee of the House, would see the 37-man nominees take turn to defend their certificates and proof their eligibility in the first phase of the exercise holding behind closed doors.
The Guardian gathered that the exercise would be more painstaking than usual, especially in the light of series of petitions alleging offences of misconduct and corruption that has been filed against some of them by concerned members of the public.

Among those that will be taking the hot seat beginning from 10am today are the former chairman of Ejigbo Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Kehinde Bamgbetan; Steve Ayorinde; Seye Oladejo (former special adviser); Prof. Ademola Abass. Others scheduled for Monday are: Adeniji Kazeem; Dr. Benson Akintola Oke; Engr Ganiyu Johnson (former special adviser) and Uzamat Akinbile-Yusuf.

It would be recalled that Ambode penultimate week sent a list of 23 prospective commissioners and 14 Special Advisers to the House for screening and confirmation. The House, contrary to tradition, appointed a 15-man committee to screen the nominees behind close doors ahead of the second phase of confirmation that will hold on the floor of the House.

Criteria for the closed-door screening exercise include citing of original copies of school certificates by the committee and having same verified by the Directorate of State Security (DSS). Fake result or certificate will lead to automatic disqualification or withdrawal of confirmation, where already given, the House warned.

The candidates are also to show proof of party membership, in the form of a letter from the state chairman of the party or chairman of the local government chapter of the party, coupled with an endorsement by the state lawmaker representing the nominee’s constituency.

Beside also showing proof of residency in Lagos State, the nominees will present a certificate of fitness from any of state-owned general hospitals and clearance from the DSS that he or she is neither a terrorist nor have corrupt antecedents.
Given this makeup of the screening, there were insinuations in some quarters that the House was miffed with Ambode’s list and would ensure some names do not scale the hurdle.

The House, in its reaction, however, said their tough screening procedure was not to witch-hunt any nominee, but as part of the due process allowed by the law.
Deputy Speaker of the House, Wasiu Sanni-Eshinlokun, told reporters at the weekend that both their decision to screen through a House Committee and behind the closed doors were constitutional.

Having cited relevant sections of the constitution, Sanni-Eshilokun explained that the screening was to help them do a thorough scrutiny, rather than the practice of asking few questions on the floor of the House and granting immediate confirmation.

According to him, “We want to check the certificates of the nominees rather than embarrassing them on the floor of the House. We want to do the necessary things because if we call them to the floor of the House and ask them to just take a bow and go, that would make it business as usual. The whole thing bothers on the provision of the constitution,” he said.

Sanni-Eshilokun, who is also the chairman of the screening committee, stressed that the House had a good relationship with the executive, adding that the House wouldn’t have given the Governor’s request for budget re-ordering an easy passage if it was otherwise.

It is wrong to say that we set up the committee because we are not happy with the governor or because he wrote that the cabinet members would be sworn-in on Monday, October 5. We are not even aware of such date; the governor did not give us any swearing-in date in the letter he sent to us. We are just doing our job as it ought to be done,” he said.
The odds, however, seems to be against some of the nominees that already have allegations of corruption and improper conducts against them.

In one of the petitions filled on behalf of Ikoyi Club 1938 by Chief Oladele Benson, it was alleged against one of Ambode’s nominees that he misappropriated the elite club’s funds while he was their vice-chairman between 2007 – 2008. The candidate was banned from the club in 2010.

According to Benson, “In light of the findings, recommendations and decisions against… (the candidate) in the report touching on financial/ administrative activities in the club which are grave indictments against him leading to his expulsion from the club, I hold the view that… (the candidate) is not a fit and proper person to be entrusted with a position of authority in the administration of this State of ours and I object to his approval as a commissioner/ special adviser by your Honorable House,” the petition read in part.

Other nominees that are scheduled to appear during the five-day screening exercise are the former Deputy Majority Leader of the Lagos Assembly, who is also Senator Oluremi Tinubu’s elder sister, Lola Akande; her then colleague in the House, Adebimpe Akinsola; Dr. Jide Idris (former health commissioner); Musiliu Folami (former SA); Babatunde Hunpe (former SA); Tunde Durosimi-Etti; Gbolahan Lawal (former Commissioner for Agriculture); Folarin Coker (former SA); Abdul-lateef AbdulHakeem (former SA) and Dr. Dayo Mobereola (CEO of LAMATA).

The list also has: Ganiu Okanlomo Sanni; Agboola Dabiri; Yetunde Onabule; Rotimi Ogunleye; Kehinde Joseph; Akinyemi Ashade; Arc Wasiu Anifowose; Dr. Femi Onanuga; Femi Odubiyi; Dr. Mustapha Akinkunmi, Fela Bank-Olemoh; Wale Oluwo; Benjamin Adeyemi Labinjo; Toyin Suarau; Anofi Elegusi; Deji Tinubu; Dr. Babatunde Adejare (former member of the House of Representatives); Munirat Giwanson and Engr Ade Adesanya.

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