In his continued bid to root out corruption in the country; President Muhammadu Buhari has suspended the Secretary to Government of Federation, Babachi Lawal indefinitely.
This is coming five months after the Senate called for the sack and prosecution of the SGF over allegations of financial impropriety.
The President also directed the suspension of the Director General of the NIA, Ambassador Ayo Oke, pending the outcome of the investigation into monies recovered by EFCC at Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos.
President Buhari also ordered an investigation into the allegations of violations of law and due process against Lawal in the award of contracts as the Chairman of the Presidential Initiative on the North East (PINE).
The president also ordered a full scale investigation into the discovery of large amount of foreign and local currencies by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in a residential apartment at Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos, on which the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) has made a claim.
In a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the president on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, on the issue in Abuja on Wednesday, said the men will be suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.
It added that the most senior officers in their offices to take temporary charge of their affairs.
The statement read: “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.”