Babachir Lawal: suspended SGF
President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday made a dramatic U-turn and suspended the Secretary to the Federal Government, Babachir David Lawal, who he had exonerated after he was indicted by a Senate Committee probing the disbursement of funds meant for the Internally Displaced Persons Camps. The Committee alleged that Lawal awarded a N200m contract for a company linked with him to cut grass at an IDP camp.
Mr. Buhari also suspended the Director-General of National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Ayo Oke, who recently dramatically claimed that his agency owned the $43million found in a luxury flat in Ikoyi Lagos.
The President has ordered full scale investigations into the cases of the two men who have been tainted with controversies.
Ambassador Oke got mired in the shocking discovery of $43.45million in a private apartment by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission when he claimed the money belonged to his agency and was approved by the former president Goodluck Jonathan for some covert operation.
President Buhari is said to be furious with the claim as he had never been briefed about the fund by the DG who was appointed by Jonathan and was kept on the job by Buhari.
Mr. Femi Adesina, special adviser to the President on media and publicity said President Buhari has ordered an investigation into the allegations of violations of law and due process made against the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr David Babachir Lawal, in the award of contracts under the Presidential Initiative on the North East (PINE).
Buhari directed the suspension of the SGF from office pending the outcome of the investigations.
Also the President has ordered a full scale investigation into the discovery of large amounts of foreign and local currencies by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in a residential apartment at Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos, over which the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) has made a claim.
The investigation is also to enquire into the circumstances in which the NIA came into possession of the funds, how and by whose or which authority the funds were made available to the NIA, and to establish whether or not there has been a breach of the law or security procedure in obtaining custody and use of the funds.
Until the investigation is completed, Mr. Buhari ordered that the Director General of the NIA, Ambassador Oke be relieved of his duties.
A three-man Committee comprising the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, and the National Security Adviser, headed by the Vice President, is to conduct both investigations.
The Committee is to submit its report to the President within 14 days.
The most senior Permanent Secretary in the SGF’s office, and the most senior officer in the NIA, are to act, respectively, during the period of investigation.
Today action by the President is seen by watchers as attempt by Mr. Buhari to reassure Nigerians that he is still serious with the war against corruption. He had been accused widely as prosecuting a selective war and shielding those loyal to him from facing the music.
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