President Muhammad Buhari has 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). East (PINE).
A statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President, Media and
Publicity, Femi Adesina says the President has equally 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.
Read the full statement below:
“President Muhammadu
Buhari has 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 President has also directed the suspension of the SGF from office pending the outcome of the investigations.In a related development, the President 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.FEMI ADESINA
Special Adviser to the President
(Media and Publicity)
April 19, 2017”