SAN FRANCISCO, April 19, (THEWILL) – Governor of Ekiti state, Ayodele Fayose, has described the suspension of Lawal Babachir, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), and Ayo Oke, Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), as an attempt to cover-up the real owners of the $43 million.
In statement on Wednesday, Fayose wondered why the presidency would suspend the duo at a time the government decided to investigate the $43 million found at an apartment in Ikoyi, Lagos saying it had become obvious that President Muhammadu Buhari had lost control over his government.
“Would the president have set up a probe panel if these scams were linked to anyone in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) or those members of his party that are not in his good books,” read a statement which Lere Olayinka, the governor’s spokesman, issued on his behalf.
“Most importantly, what business does presidential committee have with investigation of crime? Are they telling Nigerians that they have lost confidence in all the intelligence and investigative agencies of the government, including the EFCC and DSS?
“The Buhari-led federal government is operating like many governments within one government. There appears to be many presidencies within the presidency and this is the reason for the confusion everywhere.
“Why wait for this messy OsborneGate to act on the Presidential Initiative for the North East (PINE) grass-cutting scam? Could it have been a case of one presidency (Buhari) writing the senate on January 17, 2017 to clear the SGF and another presidency suspending him today?”
THEWILL had exclusively reported that the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) had claimed ownership of the $43,449,947, £27,800 and N23, 218,000 seized last Wednesday by the EFCC from Osborne Towers, a luxury residential complex in Ikoyi, Lagos, owned by ex-National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr. Adamu Muazu.
Buhari however, in a statement issued on Wednesday by presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, suspended Lawal and Oke and even ordered an investigation into the allegations of violations of law and due process made against the SGF in the award of contracts under the Presidential Initiative on the North East, PINE appointing his deputy, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, to spearhead the probe.
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