Only Buhari will decide fate of Lawal, Oke, says Osinbajo

David Babachir Lawal

• FEC put off
Only President Muhammadu Buhari will determine the fate of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ambassador Ayo Oke, suspended over sundry allegations leveled against them.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo who gave the indication yesterday after he submitted the report of the panel, which investigated the duo, was however silent on the recommendations in the two volume documents he made available to the President in the villa.

This happened as the weekly meeting of the members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) was put off yesterday.

A terse statement signed by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, and made available to newsmen did not give reasons for the development.

Lawal was grilled by the Osinbajo-led three man Presidential panel over the N220 million meant for welfare of Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, in North-East, while Oke was suspended over 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 NIA has made a claim.

Specifically, the three-man committee which was tasked to complete the assignment and submit the report included the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mohammed Babagana Monguno and Attorney-General and Justice Minister, Abubakar Malami.

Briefing State House Correspondents after submitting the report, Osinbajo disclosed that the ‎president is expected to study the recommendations of the “very detailed report” and decide the fate of the duo.

“The President has to study the report and make decisions. He is the one who will read the recommendations and the facts and then make a decision.’’

The Vice President revealed that the committee based its recommendations on facts made available to it from interviews of witnesses of what transpired in the cases.

He sued for patience on when President Buhari will make a pronouncement on the matter, saying, “if you want to know what is in the report you have to wait. You really have to wait.”

The Senate had first made accusations of corruption against Lawal in December last year, after its committee on the humanitarian crisis in the north-east indicted him and then asked that he should be suspended and prosecuted.

But in January, the president rejected the Senate’s indictment, saying he was not given fair hearing; before suspending him, alongside Oke, four months later.