Date Published: 03/22/10

Senate gets list of Jonathan's Ministers Tuesday

...Snubs Yar'Adua's cabal's insistence on juicy ministries

...Rejects some Governors preference for sacked corrupt ministers

...Aondoakaa, Babalola may come under EFCC's scrutiny

As the Senate braces to receive the list of new ministers from Acting President Goodluck Jonathan Tuesday , there are indications that moves by some Umaru Yar’Adua loyalist to grab some juicy ministries as compensation has been snubbed by Jonathan.

The cabal had insisted that the ministries of aviation, agriculture, power, works, FCT, finance, transport and water resources be given to their men, but Pointblanknews.com sources said Jonathan called their bluff insisting that he would only consider merit and ethnic balance.

It was gathered that the list was delayed due to back room moves by  Umaru Yar’Adua’s  loyalists and some Governors who represented the names of those sacked and already tainted. .

Sources however hinted that the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), and the State Security Service (SSS) have already done background checks on the nominees, most especially those new on the federal scene.

Pointblanknews.com learnt Jonathan did not prune down the number from 42 to 30 as suggested in some quarters, but ensured it is ethnically balanced and without those tagged corrupt and who underperformed.

Also Pointblanknews.com sources hinted that some Governors who were hell bent on representing their sacked candidates for the benefit of next elections, are currently scrambling to get replacements sequel to Jonathan’s insistence that all those who underperformed and still have huge skeletons in their closets must go.

According to presidential villa sources, Jonathan had warned the Governors that failure to send fresh names by the weekend would result in him and the PAC sending names they deem competent to the senate by tuesday.

Meanwhile, pointblanknews.com sources said Monday that the EFCC may go after some of those sacked ministers with huge allegations of fraud dangling over their heads. The likely candidates are ex power minister, Remi Babalola, and his special duties colleagues, Mike Aodoakaa