Buhari sacks suspended SGF, NIA boss

Babachir Lawal, Amb. Ayo Oke

President Muhammadu Buhari has finally sacked the suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal; and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Ayo Oke.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, disclosed this in a statement on Monday.
 The sacking of the two government officials was based on the report of a three-man panel led by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo that investigated them.
 desina said Buhari has subsequently appointed Mr. Boss Mustapha as the new SGF.
The statement read, “President Muhammadu 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, Ambassador 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.”
“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.”

Mustapha from Adamawa State is a lawyer, management consultant, politician and businessman.

Buhari had in June 2016 appointed him the Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority.

The President had on April 19 suspended the two government officials and constituted a three-man committee led by Osinbajo, to investigate them.

The panel investigated allegations of violations of law and due process made against Lawal in the award of contracts under the Presidential Initiative on the North-East while it probed Oke on the discovery of large amounts of foreign and local currencies by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in a residential apartment at Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos, for which NIA is laying claim.
The committee had the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN); and the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, as members

Source: Punch Newspaper