PROFESSOR Itse Sagay, chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, SAN, has berated those criticising President Muhammadu Buhari for including the names of eight deceased persons on his new list of appointees into the board of Federal Government agencies.

The Arewa Consultative Forum, a former Minister of Education  Oby Ezekwesili, and some other notable Nigerians had criticised the President for the gaffe.

However, Sagay told our correspondent during a telephone interview on Monday that the fuss generated over the list was needless.

The senior advocate said the list was compiled over a year ago and there was no way the President would have known that eight persons out of 1,467 on the list had died

He said, “This list has been under preparation for over two years. There were recommendations from governors, ministers and other important members of the APC. And that list has about 1, 500 persons. So, can any normal person be surprised that about six people have died out of almost 2,000 in two years?

“Also, was the Presidency supposed to have visited the homes of each of the appointees to know if they were still alive? The outrage is unreasonable and needless. Even as we speak, how do you know that one or two persons have not died since their appointments were announced? Do we control life?

“The impression that I have is that the Nigerian elite have a Lilliputian mind. For me, the whole episode shows the stupidity of those who were outraged. I think it is evidence of idleness of mind.”