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President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday approved the immediate suspension of the Chairman of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel on the Recovery of Government Property, Okoi Obono-Obla from Office until investigation over alleged forgery and corruption levelled against him is concluded by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC).
The President directive was announced in a tweet by the official handle of the Presidency@NGRPresident on Wednesday. BusinessDay also gathered that the suspension letter, signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, directed the embattled official to step down and then proceed to answer questions over alleged infractions.
He is to face probe over allegations of certificate forgery and other corruption-related charges.
According to the suspension letter while Obono-Obla remained on suspension, the Solicitor General of the Federation, Dayo Apata, would assume duty of the panel on recovery of public property. Other members of the panel will however remain in office.
BusinessDay gathered that the SGF office has since sent messages to Obono-Obla to come pick up his suspension letter but as at Wednesday afternoon, he was reportedly keeping away from office to avoid picking up the letter as a team of policemen were still said to be lurking around his sealed office to either arrest him or stop him from going into the office to tamper with materials for investigation.
Obla’s ordeal started on Friday when policemen allegedly deployed from Force Headquarters invaded his Asokoro office and sealed off the building just after the official closed for the day.
Obla was said to have forged a WAEC certificate with which he secured admission to study law at the University of Jos in 1982.
BusinessDay put a call across to the embattled chairman of the panel on Wednesday but his phone was switched off. However, in a statement he issued on Monday, he maintained that the invasion and sealing of his office was the handiwork of desperate people on a campaign to tarnish his image because he is investigation many prominent People, who have allegedly corruptiley enriched themselves from the public till.
Innocent Odoh, Abuja
