Why Nigerian ministerial nominees are screened by DSS. A Neusroom explainer
In the last two months since Bola Tinubu took the oath of office as Nigeria’s 16th president, there have been speculations about the individuals the former Lagos governor will appoint as ministers to head the 43 ministries in Nigeria.
While various lists have been circulating on the internet, the Guardian Newspaper reported on Wednesday, July 19, 2023, that President Tinubu has sent the ministerial list to the senate, 50 days after taking office.
According to a bill signed by former President Muhammadu Buhari shortly before leaving office, a president-elect is expected to submit the names of persons nominated as ministers within 60 days of taking the oath of office for confirmation by the Senate.
Before Tinubu sent the list to the legislature, the nominees were expected to be first screened by the Department of State Services (DSS).
Established on June 5, 1986, the DSS is a security agency in Nigeria under the supervision of the Presidency of Nigeria, and it is expected to report its activities to Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser to the president.
Among other functions, the DSS is charged with the responsibility of preventing and detecting any crime against the internal security of Nigeria.
As ministers hold strategic positions within the government and have access to sensitive and classified information, it is crucial to vet the nominees thoroughly to safeguard national security and prevent any risks of compromise.
The DSS, being the country’s primary domestic intelligence agency, is entrusted with conducting comprehensive background checks on the candidates to ensure they do not pose any security threats.
The screening process by the DSS involves conducting background checks on the careers of the nominees and operatives.
While in 2015, the ministerial list of Buhari was also sent to the DSS, there have been concerns about why the list sent to the department is not made public to ascertain those who failed the screening.
In 2015, Rotimi Amaechi, while still being investigated for misappropriation of public funds during his time as Rivers State governor, scaled through DSS screening to become the country’s minister of transportation. There are also speculations that Abdullahi Ganduje, the immediate past governor of Kano State, who’s being investigated by his successor, Abba Yusuf, could be on the list submitted to the senate, sparking debate that DSS screening has become a formality.
