BREAKING NEWS, Politics
IT WAS a busy weekend of some sorts for sympathisers and loyalists of the embattled Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Babachir Lawal, and Director General of National Intelligence Agency, NIA, Ayodele Oke as they embarked on clandestine moves for their safe landing.
Sunday Independent gathered that more damaging revelations from both the Osinbajo and Senate adhoc committees jolted them, necessitating their lobby moves of some influential Nigerians, particularly the past leaders.
It was further gathered that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who was the chairman of the committee had from the onset told his colleagues Nigerians deserve to know everything about their assignment as well as ensuring that the duo are given fair hearing.
The senate ad hoc committee on the humanitarian crisis in the north-east had last week alleged that Lawal, spent N570m to remove invasive plant species in Yobe state, and not N272m as previously reported.
Shehu Sani, chairman of the committee, said this while presenting a final report of the committee’s investigation on the financial activities of the Presidential Initiative on the North-East, PINE, under the office of the SGF.
Similarly, Osinbajo’s Panel was said to have uncovered how NIA DG Oke stashed $43m of the Osborne haul for himself
Sunday INDEPENDENT gathered through a source privy to the panel sittings, that Oke admitted personal ownership of the $43,449,947, £27,800 and N23, 218,000 in his Osborne Home, a luxury residential apartment in Ikoyi, Lagos state, and not the NIA authorities as earlier claimed.
The discovered funds were said to have been approved by ex-President Goodluck Jonathan for procurement of special surveillance equipments and other maintenance work both at the headquarters of the NIA and other locations within the country.
The Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, told the Federal High Court in Lagos that Mrs. Folasade Oke, wife of the suspended NIA DG is the owner of the Osborne flat for which she made the payment of $1.7 million between August 25 and September 3, 2015.
Also, the Senate was said to be irked by the refusal of Lawal to honour invitations by its ad-hoc committee, for which they regard as an affront on the hallowed chamber.
The colleagues of Oke at the NIA, particularly, his lieutenants were said to have expressed displeasure over the singular action and activities of their former boss particularly as it related to finance.
Bolade Agboola, executive director, Cashcraft Asset Management Limited expressed satisfaction of the committee so far for finishing its assignment on time, adding that the punishment to me meted out if found guilty should serve as deterrents to others.
“Starting with people at the corridor of power is the best that could happen to the war and the type of punishment they get, if found guilty could symbolise the end of impunity. We are waiting to see what follows and that will determine the way the government is perceived,” Agboola said .
Robert Omotunde of Afrinvest believes that the issue if handled properly would “reinforce the anti-corruption credentials of the present administration and it will go a long way in buoying confidence levels in the government’s stance on corrupt practices. – INDEPENDENT
– May 7, 2017 @ 1:20 GMT
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