President Muhammadu Buhari’s two-month-long delay in presenting his list
of ministers to the Senate for screening and confirmation has generated
concern in many quarters over the direction of his administration as
well as its workability. However, the recent report that 33 of 36
ministerial nominees failed the integrity test conducted by various
organs of government adds a new twist to the circumstances of the
forthcoming cabinet.
According to the report, routine background checks on the nominees by
security agencies like the Nigeria Police, the Department of State
Services (DSS), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and
Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) revealed instances of
past involvement in fraudulent activities, including misappropriation of
public funds among other sins. This development is remarkable in many
respects.
In the interest of equity, the treasury looters so identified by default should not go scot-free, but serve as the starting point of the cleansing programme of the administration.
