APC Nominates Mustapha Salihu To Replace Babachir

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Adamawa State has nominated Mustapha Salihu as Babachir David Lawal’s replacement in the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.

Babachir’s position as the Party’s National Vice Chairman (North-East) has remained vacant since August 2015 following his appointment as Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF) by President Muhammadu Buhari.

In a letter addressed to the National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, the Adamawa chapter of the APC forwarded Salihu’s name for the position of National Vice Chairman (North East) of the Party pending ratification by a convention.

The letter was co-signed by the governor of Adamawa state, Bindow Jibrilla, the state chairman of the party, Ibrahim Bilal, and the APC secretary in the state, Sa’idu Naira.

The letter partly reads: “Your Excellency, the party Exco, the working committee has met with His Excellency Executive Governor of our State (Adamawa), in line with Article 17 (iv) of the party constitution as amended, we hereby nominate Alhaji Mustapha Salihu as Engr. Babachir David Lawal’s replacement as National Vice Chairman North East zone pending ratification at the mini convention.

“Our careful research and ananlysis revealed that Comrade Mustapha Salihu has tremendously supported and contributed to APC in this zone, hence his nomination”.

The decision of the Adamawa APC has also been endorsed by leadership of the party in the remaining five states in the zone, namely Borno, Bauchi, Gombe, Yobe and Taraba.

By Chijioke Jannah

Presidency Yet To Decide On Oke, Babachir

The Presidency says it has not decided the fate of the suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ayo Oke.

The Senior Special Assistant to Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Media and Publicity, Mr Laolu Akande, made this known in a statement this evening.

A presidential panel, headed by Osinbajo, had investigated Babachir for alleged violations of law and due process in the award of contracts under the Presidential Initiative on the North-East; and Oke, for the $43.4m stashed away at a residential apartment at Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos.

The three-man panel was believed to have submitted the report of the two-week investigations to President Muhammadu Buhari on May 7 before he traveled to the United Kingdom for a follow-up consultation with his doctors.

Other members of the investigation panel are the National Security Adviser, General Babagana Monguno (rtd) and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami.

Responding to media inquiries on the report of the investigations on Sunday, the acting president's spokesman called for patience.

Akande assured that the report would be made public at an appropriate time, emphasizing that Babachir and Oke remained suspended.

 "When time comes, the outcome of the panel would be made manifestly public, and Nigerians would be satisfied. The two suspended officials remain suspended," he said.

By Isiaka Wakili

The Presidency Should Release the Osinbajo-led Panel Report - Timi Frank

The fight against corruption may be in jeopardy if the findings of the Presidential committee investigating the controversial $43 million in Lagos house is not released to Nigerians on time, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank said on Sunday.

The APC Deputy National Publicity Secretary, in a statement signed in Abuja, voiced his belief that the reports ought to have been released to show transparency in the war against corruption.

He said the continued delay in making public the outcome of Yemi Osinbajo-led three man committee might begin to give room to rumours and speculations.

He said anybody found guilty should not be protected, saying “The NIA and SGF's reports should no longer be kept away from Nigerians. These reports should be released within the shortest possible time to allay the fears among a section of Nigerians”.

Frank said not only Nigerians were expecting the outcome of Professor Osinbajo's panel, but also “the international community” on how Nigeria would handle the matter that could make or mar the war against corruption.

The Bayelsa born politician, who said Nigerians still believed in the integrity of Prof. Osinbajo the same way they trusted President Muhammadu Buhari, stated that he had to speak out because he also commended the move when the committee was set up by the President.

He said, “It is high time this report is make public to proof to the world that our party means it when we say we are fighting corruption, because do as said is the hallmark of integrity in governance.

“The reports of discovery of large amount of money as $43M without true identity of the owner in a country where government cannot pay salaries or increase the meager being paid the hard working civil servants, where poverty, hunger and massive unemployment are order of the day, should not be delayed or swept under the carpet.”

The presidency had promised to release the reports over a week ago before President Buhari travelled for a medical check-up.

It would be recalled that the committee headed by Acting President Osinbajo was also tasked to investigate the allegations of corruption against the suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Engr. Babachir David Lawal.

By Muideen Olaniyi

Oke, Babachir Won’t Be Reinstated by Presidency

The Presidency has ruled out the possibility of reinstating the Director General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Ayo Oke, and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, who were both suspended from office recently.

A source in the presidency told SUNDAY PUNCH in Abuja on Saturday that they were both indicted in the report of the presidential investigative panel that probed them.

The source explained that the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, who is the chairman of the panel would have presented the report to President Muhammadu Buhari last Monday but for the President’s journey to London for medical consultation.

The source, who is conversant with the arrangement, told our correspondent on condition of anonymity that in case Buhari tarries in his return to the country, Osinbajo will act on the report and a decision would be made public soon.

He said the decision to make the report public was arrived at before the President travelled.

The source added, “The panel’s report was ready since last Wednesday. It was the formal presentation that was fixed for Monday. That has been overtaken by event with the President’s journey.

“Before the President travelled however, he met with the Acting President on many issues, including this one in question.

“An understanding was reached on the position to take. That decision will soon be made public. It is just a matter of time.

“The President can return any time. The Acting President can also announce the decision in case the President did not return on time.”

When asked if it is appropriate for Osinbajo who led the panel to be the one that will implement the report, the source said, “He chaired the panel as the Vice President and now, he is the Acting President. Besides, the decision was arrived at in consultation with the President. It is a government decision.”

When further asked if there was any possibility that Oke and Lawal might be given a clean bill of health, the source said, “as a matter of fact, their case is a done deal.”

The Senior  Special Assistant to the Acting President on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, could not be reached on the telephone for comment as of the time of filing this report .

The Osinbajo panel also had the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), and the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, as members.

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 Senate Ad Hoc Committee on Mounting Humanitarian Crisis in the North-East had also indicted the suspended SGF on the same matter.

The panel was said to have considered the Senate report alongside its own investigation in arriving at a conclusion on Lawal’s case.

By Olalekan Adetayo

Buhari May Be in Possession of Osibanjo Panel Report - Presidency

The Presidency has hinted that the panel that investigated the allegations against the suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ayo Oke, may have submitted its report to President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, dropped the hint this morning while featuring on the Sunrise Daily programme of Channels Television.

Babachir was investigated for alleged violations of law and due process in the award of contracts under the Presidential Initiative on the North-East; and Oke, over the $43.4m hauled from a residential apartment at Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos.

The Presidency had last Wednesday assured that President Buhari would receive the report today.

But Adesina disclosed this morning that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo who headed the three-man panel met with Buhari before the latter travelled to London for medical follow-up yesterday.

The presidential spokesman explained that the submission of the report might have "come up" during that meeting.

"The vice president met with the president yesterday before he travelled. It is not unlikely that that (the submission of the report) may have come up," Adesina said.

He also stated that given the reputation of the members of the panel, Nigerians should expect "what is fair and just" from the report.

By Isiaka Wakili

Senate Vows to Stop The Reinstatement of Babachir

Nigerian Senate has vowed to stop any move by powerful political forces within and outside government to reinstate suspended Secretary to Government of the Federation, SGF, David Babachir Lawal.

This followed its consideration of the final report of its adhoc Committee, which accused Lawal of process violation in award of contracts under the Presidential Initiatives on North East (PINE) on Wednesday.

The 45-page report was submitted by the Committee Chairman, Senator Shehu Sani (APC, Kaduna Central).

The final report revealed that contractors paid over N500m in kickbacks to a company linked Lawal.

The bribe was discovered to have been paid to Rholavision Engineering Limited.

Senators were shocked that besides the N270 million for the grass-cutting contract, there was another N200 million spent to hire consultants on grass-cutting.

An interim report, late last year, had indicted Lawal for corruption.

After deliberations yesterday, Senate said it would not hesitate to go into a fresh war with the Presidency if Lawal returned from his suspension by using very serious legislative interventions to engage the Presidency.

It also resolved to immediately send its resolution to President Muhammadu Buhari for immediate action, even as it adopted the report.

After considering the votes and proceedings on the parliamentary process required in arriving at a logical conclusion on the matter, Senator Muhammad Shittu (APC, Jigawa North-East), moved for the adoption, while Senator Ben Murray- Bruce (PDP Bayelsa) seconded it.

In his remarks after adoption of the final report, Senate President, Bukola Saraki, confirmed the existence of pressure groups to protect the job of the suspended SGF.

Saraki said: “I am sure of the kind of pressure on the members; especially the chairman and some of us in the leadership and the kind of pressure we were under.

“But for you to have been able to stay firm and do your job, and carry out your responsibility, I must commend the committee and the chairman, in particular.”

By Wale Odunsi