At last, President Muhammadu Buhari has fired the former secretary to the government of the federation, Mr. Babachir Lawal and appointed the former managing director of the Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Mr. Boss Mustapha as the successor
Similarly, the president terminated the appointment of the former director of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ambassador Ayo Oke.
Their sack was consequent upon the report of a three-man panel headed by the vice-president, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo that investigated them.
The president’s special adviser on media and publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, said in a statement today that Buhari had accepted the recommendations of the investigating panel.
The statement reads: “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.
It would be recalled that Babachir and Oke were suspended on April 19, 2017.
Oke was suspended in connection with 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 NIA made a claim while Lawal was suspended in connection with the award of contracts under the Presidential Initiative on North East.
After their suspension, Buhari ordered that thorough investigations be conducted on the allegations against the two top government officials.
The president therefore set up a three-man committee comprising the attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN); the national security adviser, Babagana Monguno, and headed by Osinbajo.
