Osibanjo decides fate of Lawal, Oke this week

.Buhari might have directed the VP to act on the report on his behalf – Presidency source

.Given the reputation of members of the probe panel, Nigerians should expect “what is fair and just”- Adesina

Acting President Yemi Osibanjo may this week in his present capacity determine the fate of suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Engr. David Babachir Lawal and the Director General of the Nigeria Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ambassador Ayo Oke, following President Muhammadu Buhari’s trip to London for a medical follow-up.

The Acting President who is Chairman of the Presidential Panel of investigation on alleged corruption charges against the duo was expected to submit its report to the President on Monday (yesterday).

But Presidential sources informed The Daily Times that the report has been submitted to the President who in turn might have directed Osinbajo to act on the report on his behalf.

Buhari’s absence a night before the scheduled date for the submission of the report had prompted curiosities as to the fate of the two embattled officials of the Buhari administration.

Asked whether the Acting President was also going to submit the report to himself, having found himself acting in dual capacity, a Presidential source told The Daily Times that the report may have already been submitted to the President the previous day before his travel to London.

Lawal was investigated for alleged violations of law and due process in the award of contracts to companies he is linked to under the Presidential Initiative on the North-East (PINE), which he headed, for the clearing of ‘invasive plant species’ (weeds) in Yobe State.

Oke has been grilled over his claim that about N13 billion cash hauled from a residential apartment at Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos, belonged to the NIA.

While featuring on Sunrise Daily programme of Channels Television on Monday, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, hinted that the panel that investigated the allegations against Babachir
Lawal and Oke may have submitted its report to Buhari before he travelled.

The Presidency had last Wednesday assured that President Buhari would receive the report yesterday (Monday).
But Adesina disclosed during the programme that Osinbajo who headed the three-man panel met with Buhari before the latter travelled to London for medical follow-up on Sunday night.

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

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

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo is under huge pressure from lobbyists pleading with his committee investigating Ayo Oke, the director general of the Nigerian Intelligence Agency (NIA) and the secretary to the government of the federation, Babachir Lawal, to find a soft landing for both suspended officials.

It was also learnt that the ongoing probe of the two officials has divided members of the ‘kitchen cabinet’ of the President.

While some lobbyists, including some security chiefs, are saying that Oke should not be humiliated out of office, they advised that he should either be allowed to go on voluntary retirement or compulsorily retired.
Some security chiefs informed journalists that Oke’s trial might set a dangerous precedent, adding that the whole thing is messy and complicated.

For the suspended SGF, the Senate has continued to insist that the Presidency must meet its demand for the prosecution of the suspended SGF Babachir Lawal, after its committee’s report on the humanitarian crisis in north-east indicted him for bribery and breach of law in the procurement exercise at the Presidential Initiative for the North East.

But Adesina has assured that given the reputation of the members of the panel, Nigerians should expect “what is fair and just” from the report.