*Osinbajo panel recommended their removal

From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja

Two months after Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, submitted the panel report on suspended Secretary to Government of the Federation Babachir Lawal, and Director General National Intelligence Agency, Ayo Oke, President Muhammadu Buhari has finally sacked them.

But the decision of the president is however silent on the recommendation of the Senate that Lawal be prosecuted for a contract scam after his sack.

A statement by the president’s spokesman, Femi Adesina just announced the sack of the former SGF and the ex-NIA DG and not a word on whether they would be prosecuted or not as the Senate had recommended.

The duo were suspended on April 19 and a three-man committee headed by Osinbajo, with the National Security Adviser, General Babagana Monguno (rtd) and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami as members.

The president has appointed Boss Gida Mustapha, new Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), who was last year June appointed Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA).

The Adamawa born Mustapha, is a lawyer, management consultant, politician, businessman and boardroom guru of considerable repute.

The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, in a statement said, Buhari sacked the ex-SGF and ex-DG NIA after studying the panel report headed by the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, which investigated allegations against them and recommended their sack.

Adesina said: “President Buhari has studied the report of the panel headed by the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, which investigated allegations against the suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Babachir David Lawal, and the Director General, National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ambassador Ayo Oke.

“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.”

Osinbajo submitted the panel report in August 23 to President Buhari after he returned from his medial vacation where he spent over 100 days in London.

Lawal was investigated for allegedly awarding N200 million grass-cutting contract to clear “invasive plant species” in Yobe State, to Global Vision Limited, under the Presidential Initiative on the North East (PINE), a company in which he had interest.

A Senate Committee on Humanitarian Crisis in the North-East, had indicted Lawal and demanded his resignation and prosecution.

Oke was investigated 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 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 in which the NIA came into possession of the fund and find out how and by whose or which authority the fund was 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 fund.

Dr. Habibat Lawal was named acting SGF, while Ambassador Arab Yadam, was also named acting NIA DG as directed by Buhari that the most senior permanent secretary in the Office of the SGF and senior deputy, in NIA.

In a statement issued on May 3, the Senior Special Assistant to Osinabjo on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, had said that the panel was scheduled to submit its report to President Buhari on Monday, May 8.

But President Buhari left Nigeria for the United Kingdom on May 7 for a follow-up consultation with his doctors.