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Buhari’s Ministers: DSS Screens Odimegwu, Falana, Others
Mr. Festus Odimegwu, former managing director of Nigerian Breweries Limited, and Prof. Pat Utomi, a former presidential candidate, are among the ministerial nominees that have been screened by the Department of State Service (DSS), according to Punch Newspapers.
Those already said to have been screened as nominees for President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet also include a former Governor of Osun State, Olagunsoye Oyinlola; and a Lagos-lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN).
Also on the list are a former Chief of Army, Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazu (retd.); an ex-chief executive of the Federal Inland Revenue, Mrs. Ifueko Omoigui-Okaru; a former finance commissioner in Lagos State, Mr. Wale Edun; and a former National Legal Adviser to the defunct Congress for Progressive Change, Abubakar Malami (SAN).
Punch learnt that the screening of the nominees had been concluded on Friday. Buhari had last week at a press briefing in Accra, Ghana, that he would name members of his cabinet this month.
Our correspondents gathered that some of the nominees had appeared before the DSS.
None of the names on the list however confirmed that they had been screened when our correspondents contacted them on Sunday.
It was gathered that they had been instructed not to leak details of their screening to the media.
‘‘What was done was not physical screening but mainly background checking,” one of the already-screened nominees told one of our correspondents late on Sunday.
Multiple sources within the All Progressives Congress told our correspondent on Sunday that Falana was favoured by a camp in the party to emerge as the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation.
A top APC chieftain said the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, had convinced Buhari to appoint Falana.
Tinubu and Osinbajo were said to have told Buhari that appointing Falana, who he jailed over 30 years ago, would boost his image as a ‘converted democrat.’
It was, however, learnt that Malami was being favoured by the President.
A source within the party added power blocs within Falana’s home state, Ekiti, might not be disposed to the choice of the human rights lawyer because he is not a member of the APC.
The APC has three former governors in Ekiti State: Niyi Adebayo, Segun Oni and Kayode Fayemi.
An APC top official said, “Falana has already been screened by the DSS. However, Buhari is closer to Malami who is from the North.”
Sources within the party also told our correspondent that Utomi, a renowned economist and former presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, had been screened by the DSS and the police.
Utomi, who is now a member of the APC, was one of biggest critics of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s government.
It was learnt that Edun, who served under former Tinubu as Lagos State governor, had also been screened by security agencies.
It was learnt that Edun was being considered to emerge as the Minister of Finance while Utomi for Minister of Economic Planning.
Sources within the party told our correspondent that Tinubu convinced Buhari to appoint Edun based on his antecedents.
He said the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Babatunde Fowler, Edun and Utomi might be given the task of reviving the economy.
A source said, “Oil prices are dwindling and Nigeria will need to diversify but in the short term, increasing the nation’s Internally Generated Revenue is the key. Tinubu explained to Buhari that when former President Olusegun Obasanjo withheld Lagos State allocations, Edun and Fowler helped to ensure that the state’s IGR increased exponentially.’’
It was learnt that Odimegwu, was nominated by the President.
Odimegwu fell out with former President Goodluck Jonathan when he openly criticised the Federal Government. He had resigned and then travelled to the United States.
Two weeks to the March 28 presidential election, however, Odimegwu openly supported Buhari and called him ‘the best man for the job.’
Odimegwu is also close to former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Oyinlola, a one-time secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, defected to the APC shortly before the Osun State governorship election and he is a close associate of Obasanjo.
Repeated calls made to the telephones of Odimegwu and Utomi were not responded to.
One of the nominees who picked his call, simply said, “I don’t know if screening has been done or completed.”
Another nominee, who pleaded anonymity, said, “Although I have met the director-general of the DSS twice, I don’t think such visits could be regarded as screening.
“I understand the service has done its research on ministerial nominees. For now, nobody is sure of anything until the names are announced.”
In his reaction, Oyinlola said he had not been screened as a ministerial nominee.
He said, ‘‘To the best of my knowledge, I have not been called. May be they called others, not me.”
The former governor, however, said he was one of the nine persons, whose names were submitted to Governor Rauf Aregbesola – as a ministerial nominee – having been picked by his senatorial district.
Punch learnt that the report of the DSS screening would be sent to the President this week.
A top DSS operative, who confided in The PUNCH, said the agency had conducted extensive checks on the nominees, including their financial transactions and their records with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the police.
The Special Adviser (Media) to the President, Femi Adesina, had on Wednesday told The PUNCH that security screening “is naturally a behind-the-scenes matter.”
The DSS could not be reached for comment on Sunday as it had yet to appoint a spokesperson.
The Chartered Institute of Bankers (CIBN) and the Association of Corporate Communication and Marketing Professionals in Banks (ACAMB) have enjoined banks to further deepen and prioritize financial inclusion, women’s empowerment and sustained growth through strategic mandates and frameworks, aimed at closing the financial gap and empowering more small, and medium enterprise (MSME) owners.
Both organisations made this call during a courtesy visit to the newly invested 24th President and Chairman of Council of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Dr. Dele Alabi, Ph.D, FCIB, as part of plans to congratulate him on his investiture as well as seek a stronger alliance between both bodies.
The visit followed Alabi’s investiture where he unveiled his “IMPACT” Vision, themed “Consolidating Our Local Impact, Enhancing Our Global Relevance.”
The vision rests on six pillars: Inclusion across geographic, gender, and generational lines; Membership growth and quality; Professionalism and ethics; Accountability; Competencies and skills development; Technology, automation, and innovation. Other areas of shared interest, include women empowerment, financial inclusion and literacy, as well as MSME clinics, all of which are top on his agenda.
Alabi explained that under him, the institute will be prioritising financial inclusion and women empowerment, because of its realisation that women are often the primary financial managers and caregivers in families. Access to savings, micro-credit, and insurance acts as a safety net during crisis and allows them to significantly improve living conditions.
He added that CIBN would be happy to drive joint knowledge sharing and exchange sessions with CBN and ACAMB across various platforms. “Educating the public through public awareness programmes, with ACAMB as the rallying point, is central to what we do,” he noted.
ACAMB President, Jide Sipe, who led the delegation, spoke in unison with the CIBN president, as he noted that, closing the inbalances in financial access help economies grow faster, reduces inequality, and encourages greater civic participation by all.
Lagos State has become the first sub-national government in Nigeria to establish a comprehensive Greenhouse Gas Registry, a move aimed at strengthening climate governance, improving emissions accountability and accelerating the state’s transition to a low-carbon economy.
The Lagos State Greenhouse Gas Registry (LGHGR) was unveiled at the Central Business District, Alausa, Ikeja, at a ceremony attended by Prof. Akin Abayomi, commissioner for Health, members of the State Executive Council, representatives of the Federal Ministry of Environment, development partners, TPHG Technologies, the diplomatic and business communities, academics, civil society organisations and the media.
Describing the initiative as a landmark achievement in the state’s environmental sustainability drive, Dr. Babatunde Ajayi, general manager of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), said the Registry marks a defining moment in Lagos’ climate action journey and reflects Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s commitment to building a resilient, climate-smart and environmentally sustainable economy.
According to Ajayi, the digital platform will enable the state to accurately measure, monitor, report and verify greenhouse gas emissions across key sectors, providing credible data to guide environmental policies and climate interventions.
He said the Registry would strengthen evidence-based decision-making, improve transparency and accountability, support national and international climate reporting obligations, unlock carbon market opportunities and boost investor confidence in Lagos’ environmental initiatives.
Ajayi also commended TPHG Technologies for providing the technical expertise that made the pioneering project possible.
Delivering the keynote address, Prof. Abayomi described the Registry as a major milestone that positions Lagos at the forefront of climate governance and emissions accountability in both Nigeria and Africa.
He noted that climate change has evolved into a significant public health and governance challenge, stressing that access to reliable emissions data would enable the state to formulate evidence-based policies, attract climate financing, strengthen resilience and accelerate its transition to a low-carbon economy.
Providing insights into the technical framework of the project, Dr. Mofoluso Fagbeja, lead consultant and chief executive officer, TPHG Technologies, explained that the Registry was developed from the greenhouse gas inventory jointly undertaken by LASEPA and TPHG Technologies in 2022, using 2019 as the baseline year for emissions assessment.
He said the platform is designed to close critical emissions data gaps, particularly within the industrial sector, while supporting effective climate policy implementation, emissions management and sustainable development.
Fagbeja also disclosed that the greenhouse gas inventory estimated that poor air quality contributes to about 35,000 premature deaths annually in Lagos, underscoring the urgent need for stronger emissions control measures and cleaner environmental practices.
In a goodwill message, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, minister of Environment, represented by Mrs. Adenaike Olunimpe Oludunni, federal controller of Environment in Lagos, commended Lagos State for pioneering the initiative, describing it as a significant contribution to Nigeria’s climate commitments.
He said the Registry aligns with the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement and supports the Federal Government’s Energy Transition Plan, while reaffirming the ministry’s commitment to deeper collaboration with Lagos State on climate governance and environmental sustainability.
A recently released Henley Passport Index 2026, showed that Nigerian citizens can travel to at least 20 destinations outside the African continent where entry is allowed either visa-free, with a visa on arrival (VOA) at no extra cost, or via an e-visa.
This expanded access opens doors for Nigerian travellers to experience countries in the Caribbean, Asia, and beyond with greater ease.
Below is a comprehensive guide to countries outside Africa which Nigerian passport holders can visit without a traditional visa.
Visa-Free Countries outside Africa for Nigerian Passport Holders:
Barbados
Cambodia – Visa on arrival
Comoros Islands – Visa on arrival
Cook Islands
Dominica
Fiji
Haiti
Iran – Visa on arrival
Kiribati
Lebanon
Maldives – Visa on arrival
Micronesia
Montserrat
Niue – Visa on arrival
Palau Islands – Visa on arrival
Samoa – Visa on arrival
St. Kitts and Nevis
Timor-Leste – Visa on arrival
Tuvalu
Vanuatuul
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