•David-West says media ministerial list fake
•Describes Nwabueze as reckless for linking Buhari with Isalmic agenda
Ministerial lists bandied about in the media are fake, and should not be taken seriously, says Tam David-West, a confidant of President Muhammadu Buhari, who served as Petroleum Minister when he was military Head of State three decades ago.
“They are nonsense. I don’t want to bother myself with all those speculations,” he told TheNiche.
Senate still in the dark
Regardless of the face off between Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Upper Chamber is eager to receive Buhari’s ministerial list.
TheNiche learnt that senators are as expectant as other Nigerians for the list due to the slow pace in socioeconomic activities nationwide since Buhari mounted the saddle on May 29.
However, it is feared that the recent ordeal of Saraki, who is standing trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), may affect the original zeal with which the Senate would have screened the nominees.
It was learnt that Buhari is yet to make any contact with the Senate leadership on his ministerial list.
“With what hand would he [Buhari] use to transmit his list to the current Senate leadership which they vowed to push out before sending the ministerial list?” our source asked.
The source reiterated that because of the ambition of certain leaders in the APC, some of whom have injected prejudice into the mind of Buhari, retaining the current Senate leadership would seriously affect their calculation.
“Unfortunately, their game plan is affecting so many things, including the appointment of ministers,” he lamented.
Nonetheless, some senators who spoke to TheNiche in confidence said they will deal with the ministerial list any time Buhari submits it.
Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, reiterated that his boss will unveil the ministerial nominees soon.
“September 30 is still within the period the president promised,” he said, insisting that the list flying around in the media cannot be relied upon.
The lists
A newspaper listed several individuals whose names it said Buhari sent to the Department of State Services (DSS) for screening.
They include
• Festus Odimegwu (former Nigeria Breweries Managing Director).
• Pat Utom (professor of economics).
• Olagunsoye Oyinlola (former Osun State Governor).
• Femi Falana (a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN).
• Abdulrahman Dambazu (former Chief of Army Staff).
• Ifueko Omoigui-Okaru (former Chief Executive of the Federal Inland Revenue).
• Wale Edun (former Lagos State Finance Commissioner).
• Abubakar Malami (SAN and former National Legal Adviser to the defunct Congress for Progressive Change).
Another newspaper speculated its own ministerial list as
• Babatunde Fashola (former Lagos State Governor).
• Rotimi Amaechi (former Rivers State Governor).
• Tunde Bakare (Pastor, Latter Rain Assembly).
• Obiageli Ezekwesili (former World Bank Vice President, Africa Division).
• Abba Ruma (former Agriculture Minister).
• Hadiza Usman (Chief of Staff to Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai).
• Kayode Fayemi (former Ekiti State Governor).
• Bolaji Abdullahi (former Sports Minister).
• Rabiu Kwankwaso (former Kano State Governor).
• Chris Ngige (Senator).
• Tijani Tumsah (All Progressives Congress National Secretary).
• Adamu Adamu (newspaper columnist).
• Doyin Salami (faculty member, Lagos Business School).
• Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN and former Nigeria Bar Association President).
The two newspapers agreed only on the names of Falana, Malami, Dambazau, Edun, and Okauru.
David-West punctures lists
David-West countered that “you cannot know any names sent to the DSS. If any person knows any name sent to the DSS and publishes it, that person will be arrested immediately.
“A list sent to the DSS is not only confidential, it is classified. Why are people acting as if they do not even know the basic ingredient of how the country is governed.
“The DSS does not interview people. If it is investigating you, it is confidential and secret. They don’t even want to see you. They have all your records.
“I am disappointed that a country with knowledgeable people doesn’t even know how their country is run.”
But sounds genuine, doesn’t it?
David-West laughed it off, saying, the fact that a list has been circulated many times does not mean anything.
“Something can be a lie and be said so many times believing that if it is told so many times, it can be true. It is all rubbish. The level of ignorance exhibited in the last few weeks or months embarrasses me.”
Takes on Nwabueze
David-West also took on constitutional lawyer, Ben Nwabueze, for alleging that Buhari is pursuing a Muslim agenda.
“Nwabueze is talking nonsense. Quote me. I read it when he said Buhari wants to make Nigeria an Islamic state,” he said.
“I have the greatest respect for him as an academic. He is a great lawyer, a great SAN. But he is talking nonsense.
“Tell him that what he said about Buhari, he should shut up. The facts are there. Does he not read that it is not possible?”
“I urge Nwabueze to read the following articles: ‘Buhari, the politics of religion’ (Daily Sun December 1-3, 2014) and ‘Buhari and the Christian community’, by Femi Adesina (Daily Sun February 13, 2015).”
He alleged that this is not the first time Nwabueze would lie over serious issues. “Nwabueze was with me on the Constitution Drafting Committee. But he came and lied. He said that the military made us to adopt a presidential system of government.
“Some of these my friends lie too much. Another professor even said that we chose a presidential system because the military said so. It is a lie.
“Nigerians chose the presidential system of government. Over 80 per cent of Nigerians voted for it.”
Asked if Buhari’s lopsided appointments have not proven Nwabueze’s point, David-West said: “What kind of appointments? Are all the appointments Islamic?
“The Constitution says in making appointments, you should obey federal character. Has Buhari disobeyed federal character?
“There are over 400 more federal appointments to be made. What is Nwabueze talking about?
“Look, three people were shortlisted to be GMD (Group Managing Director) of NNPC (Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation); two Northerners and one Delta Igbo.
“Buhari never took any of the two Northerners. He chose the Delta Igbo. Is it not the same Igbo who said no Igbo man should vote for Buhari? They said no!
“[Chukwuemeka] Ezeife and others said they must make sure Buhari did not get 25 per cent in any South East state. So what are they talking about?
“I have decided that for some time I will not make any press statement. But time will come when I will make major press statements and carpet some of these people by name and record.”
David-West also defended Buhari’s argument that constituencies which gave him 97 per cent vote could not be expected to be treated equally on some issues with areas that gave him five per cent.
His plank is that “politicians throughout the world patronise those who stood by them and work with them. If you didn’t vote for him, others voted for him to be president.
“What is wrong in compensating those people who voted for him? What is the moral sin? You said don’t vote for him. When you did not vote for him, you had a party, congratulating yourselves on television.
“You are now saying he didn’t give me appointments. Are you not contradicting yourself?”
Canvasses national honour for Ifeajuna
David-West canvassed that a posthumous national honour be given to Emmanuel Ifeajuna, the first Nigerian and black African to win a gold medal at an international sports event, which he did at the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Vancouver, Canada in 1954.
“Now that we are talking about medals in international sports, Emmanuel Ifeajuna was the first Nigerian to win a gold medal for the country in the Commonwealth Games in Vancouver, and no government has honoured him.
“They said it is because of Biafra. Didn’t they pardon [Chukwuemeka] Ojukwu? There was rumour that Ojukwu was even to run with Shagari as Vice President [in 1979].”
He said now is the appropriate time to honour Ifeajuna since Nigeria is talking about medals.
“Nigeria should honour Emmanuel Ifeajuna. He is an Igbo man from Onitsha. He won a gold medal in high jump. And his record was not broken for many years. Other countries have praised him, the United Kingdom, Canada.
“His country has never recognised him. This is very bad.”