Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has
welcomed the decision by President Muhammadu Buhari to sack the
suspended Secretary to Government of the Federation, Mr Babachir Lawal,
and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Mr Ayodele
Oke.
The organization also called on Buhari to “urgently handover
Lawal and Oke to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and
the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission
(ICPC) for further investigation, and if there is relevant and
sufficient admissible evidence, for them to face prosecution.”
In a statement today by SERAP deputy director Timothy Adewale the organization said that, “This
is a positive development in the fight against grand corruption,
although this decision is coming rather late. Buhari now has to go a
step further by making sure that both Lawal and Oke are promptly brought
to justice in fair trials.”
The statement read in part: “Buhari also has to move swiftly to
publish report of investigation into the secret reinstatement of
fugitive former civil servant, Abdulrasheed Maina, and without delay
identify and bring to justice anyone suspected to be involved.”
“This government now has a real opportunity to reassure a lot
of Nigerians who may be worried about the direction of travel of the
president’s anti-corruption agenda that there will be no sacred cow as
far as the fight against corruption is concerned.”
“What the government needs at this time is a revolutionary
approach to the fight against corruption if Buhari is to show his
commitment to ‘kill’ corruption before corruption ‘kills’ Nigeria.”
“Without effective prosecution of high-ranking public officials
charged with corruption, this government’s fight against corruption may
sadly turn out to be all motion and no movement, and this will
eventually undermine the legitimacy of the anticorruption efforts.”
In a brief statement today the presidency said that 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,
Babachir Lawal, and the Director General, National Intelligence Agency
(NIA), Ayodele Oke.
The statement noted that the president accepted the recommendation
of the panel to terminate the appointment of Mr. Lawal, and has
appointed Boss Mustapha as the new Secretary to the Government of the
Federation.
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