Anti-corruption war taken to next level as Buhari suspends SGF, DG, NIA

The anti-corruption war of the Federal Government, on Wednesday, received a boost and further deepened the confidence of Nigerians across base with bold and courageous move by the chief anti-corruption czar, President Muhammadu Buhari, which led to the suspension of Secretary to the Federal Government (SGF), Mr. David Babachir Lawal and Director-General of National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ambassador Ayodele Oke, who had been involved in controversies over IDPs project in North East and $50 million discovered by EFCC in Ikoyi, Lagos, respectively.

In a statement, on Wednesday, by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity Mr. Femi Adesina, President Muhammadu Buhari 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).

The statement further disclosed that the President had also directed the suspension of the SGF from office pending the outcome of the investigations.

In a related development, the President, according to Femi Adesina, “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.

“The President has also directed the suspension of the Director General of the NIA, Ambassador Ayo Oke, pending the outcome of the investigation.

“A three-man Committee comprising the Hon. 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,” the presidential media adviser Femi Adesina said in the state released in Abuja on Wednesday copy of which was made available to The DEFENDER.

In the meantime, many Nigerians have reacted to the development coming from the leader of the country, President Muhammadu Buhari, who they described as a leader that leads the way while others follow.

Even a known critic in the Senate, Senator Shehu Sani, described the move by the President as bold, courageous and would put to a stop people who insinuate selective anti-corruption fight on the part of the President as he himself, according to Sani, had been able to begin the process of cleansing of the executive of corrupt people.

Some Nigerians have however asked the Senate to take a cue from the President’s action and cleanse itself of same corrupt Senators in the red chambers.