Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

News

Osinbajo Panel Recommends Sack of Suspended SGF Babachir, NIA DG Oke

The presidential panel that investigated the suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir David Lawal and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ayo Oke, has recommended that the duo be removed from office.

Daily Trust reports that the Acting President Yemi Osinbajo-led committee recommended that the suspended government official and the nation’s top spy master be disengaged and replaced.

Others members of the investigation panel are; the National Security Adviser, General Babagana Monguno (rtd) and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami.

President Muhammadu Buhari had on April 19, suspended Babachir and Oke and set up the three-man committee to investigate alleged infractions against both officials within a period of two weeks.

Babachir was investigated for allegedly awarding millions of naira contracts to a company in which he had interest, Global Vision Limited, under the Presidential Initiative on the North East (PINE).

A Senate Committee on Humanitarian Crisis in the North-East, which had earlier found the suspended SGF culpable of alleged complicity in a N200 million grass-cutting contract to clear “invasive plant species” in Yobe State, had demanded his resignation and prosecution.

Oke was probed for alleged $43.4 million operations cash found by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission at apartment 7B in Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos. He had reportedly claimed that the money belonged to the NIA and was approved by former President Goodluck Jonathan for some covert operations.

The presidential panel was mandated to uncover the circumstances by which the NIA came into possession of the funds and find out how and by whose or which authority the funds were made available to the NIA as well as to establish whether or not there was a breach of the law or security procedure in obtaining custody and use of the funds.

In accordance with Buhari’s directive, the most senior permanent secretary in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Dr Habibat Lawal and Oke’s senior deputy, Ambassador Arab Yadam, are currently acting as SGF and Director-General of the NIA respectively.

A senior government official, who is close to the panel, disclosed that the report of the investigations indicted both officials.

“The report of the investigations is ready. The two suspended officials were recommended for total disengagement and replacement. It is clearly stated in the report that they should not be brought back to their positions. They are to be disengaged as recommended.

“As promised, the committee gave fair hearing to all the parties involved. It was a thorough investigation. You would recall that the investigation was slightly extended beyond the two-week period which Mr President gave the committee,” the source was quoted as saying.

 

 

__________

Follow us on Twitter at @thesignalng

Copyright 2017 SIGNAL. Permission to use portions of this article is granted provided appropriate credits are given to www.signalng.com and other relevant sources.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement

Related

News

The former Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, has said Nigeria lost for not having Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as the country’s President. Sanusi...

News

Supporters of President Muhammadu Buhari under the aegis of the Buhari-Yemi Osinbajo Nationwide Supporters Group yesterday declared support for the presidential candidate for the...

News

Nigeria’s Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, on Monday in Abuja, said Nigeria’s energy transition plan will include, among others things the introduction of electric cars...

News

The All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, says he has forgiven Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, noting that he doesn’t harbour any ill-feeling...

Copyright ©