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The war against corruption has finally claimed its first high ranking appointee of the administration after much public outcry, as President Muhammadu Buhari approved the termination of suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachair Lawal, and director-general of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ayo Oke.
The move is also coming with approval of recommendation by the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s committee to restructure the NIA, as part of efforts to make it more effective.
After much awaited action, the President, according to a statement by the special adviser to the President on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, approved Osinbajo committee’s recommendations that include among others the need to relieve both men of their jobs for misdemeanours and breach of public trust.
Both Lawal and Oke were suspended on April 19, while President Buhari established the committee same day to probe allegations of financial misconduct against the SGF, who was accused of influencing the award of contract worth N200 million to his private firm under the North East Presidential rehabilitation programme.
Lawal was accused of violating due process in the award of the contract, while large amounts of foreign and local currencies, said to belong to the NIA, at the Ikoyi, Orsborn house, was discovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Lagos.
The huge cash, concealed from government knowledge, was said to had been kept in the private residence for NIA covert operations.
The Osinbajo panel also had the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami and National Security Adviser, Babagana Munguno, as members.
The panel was given two weeks to submit its report to the President, but he finally got the report on August 23, 2017, following the long absence of the President on medical trip to London.
Adesina noted that the President had studied the report, “which investigated allegations against the suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir David Lawal, and the Director General, NIA, Ayo Oke.
“The President accepted the recommendation of the panel to terminate the appointment of Mr Lawal, and has appointed Mr Boss Mustapha as the new Secretary to the Government of the Federation. The appointment takes immediate effect.”
According to Adesina, “President Buhari also approved the recommendation to terminate the appointment of Ambassador Oke, and has further approved the setting up of a three-member panel to, among other things, look into the operational, technical and administrative structure of the Agency and make appropriate recommendations.”
The new SGF, Boss Mustapha, is a lawyer, management consultant, politician, businessman and boardroom guru of considerable repute, and hails from Hong Local government of Adamawa State, same local government as the sacked Babachair Lawal.
Until his current appointment, he was the managing director/CEO of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA).
Meanwhile, the acclaimed national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) party, Ahmed Tinubu, has declined comment on President Buhari’s 2019 presidential ambition.
His meeting with President Buhari came immediately after Buhari had met separately with the national chairman of the party, John Odigie-Oyegun and the leadership of the National Assembly represented by Senate president, Bukola Saraki, and speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara.
Tinubu came in just as Oyegun and the NASS leadership were leaving the Presidential Villa.
But speaking with State House Correspondents after the meeting with the President yesterday, Tinubu who said he had confidence in the leadership of Buhari and the current administration, however, refused to say a word on the 2019 presidential election.
When asked his opinion on the current move by different groups calling for the President to run in 2019, he simply replied that such should not be discussed with him; “Don’t discuss that one with me.
“I just met with the President. Our discussion was fruitful, productive and it was about the country and leadership as a whole. And that got him excited and happy.”
Asked about his alleged displeasure about the direction of government since the last election, Tinubu described reports of his unhappiness as “fake news,” adding that “I have confidence in this President, there is no doubt about that.”
According to Tinubu, “We worked hard to bring about the government, there are certain things that are unpredictable and those are things that can lean itself to gossips, insinuations and all of that. But once you create leadership and is functioning you don’t have to babysit that leadership, unless there is a loss of confidence and I don’t have that.
“You know me. I’m not known to shy away from talking my mind and rebelling if it is necessary and taking charge of things that I believe are necessary.
“What is the myth in this leadership thing? What is cable? It Is a myth. We are the party of the people for the people and by the people and this is democratic environment.
“Each of us have our roles to play and that is why we are playing it. I don’t believe in the myth, I believe in confidence building, the trust that we have in the president. In the journey of democracy you are going to have twists and turns, you are going to have conflicts. Conflicts resolution mechanisms is inbuilt on how you handle your party and the governance and the party are joined by the hips.”
On allegations that there is panic ahead of the party’s NEC meeting coming up today, and efforts to mend fences ahead of the meeting, Tinubu denied the rifts, saying, “Did I tell you that? Why do you want to know; are you a member of our party?”
Tinubu also assured that the party was on course, adding however, that it was not easy to “face the kind of challenges Buhari’s government faced.
“Can you go back to the history of 16 years of the PDP? APC government is on course and will remain on course, and we will remain focused to those necessary things about development, welfare and progress of our people. Is not easy to face the challenges and the well that was dug, sinkhole that we inherited. But we are sorting that one out gradually, so few steps we will find happiness and development in the future of our country.”
Tony Ailemen, Abuja
