Tag: Ambassador Ayo Oke

Senior lawyers on Wednesday hailed President Muhammadu Buhari for suspending Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr David Babachir Lawal, over contract fraud allegations.

They said it was better late than never, and that the President’s action shows the fight against corruption is no fluke. To them, the president’s action is an indication there were no “untouchables” in his administration.

The lawyers also hailed the suspension of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) Director-General Ambassador Ayo Oke over the large amounts of foreign and local currencies found in an Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos apartment, which the agency claims.

Those who spoke include Mallam Yusuf Alli (SAN), Prof Yemi Akinseye-George (SAN), constitutional lawyer Ike Ofuokwu, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) First Vice President, Mr Monday Ubani and NBA Lagos Branch chairman, Martin Ogunleye.

On the SGF’s suspension, Ali said: “All discerning Nigerians saw it coming. With the indictment of the SGF by the Senate Committee on IDPs, not only was the allegation that he was still running a company as SGF made, it was also alleged that he collected so much money on behalf of the company for grass cutting in Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps.

“Given the sensitive nature of the IDPs’ situation, it raised a lot if moral issues. Many Nigerians had been expecting this to happen longer than now. But it doesn’t matter. At least the president listened to the voice of Nigerians. I think it’s salutary.

“At long last, the president has done what I think is right in the circumstances since the man didn’t think it fit to have bowed out by himself.”

Prof Akinseye-George said it is proper that government officials step aside while allegations of corruption against them are being investigated.

“There have been too many complaints about the SGF in particular, and he has become more of a liability to the administration.

“So, if the President in his wisdom decides to confirm his commitment to the anti-corruption fight by asking him to step aside while he is being investigated, I think it’s a proper thing to do, so that investigation can go on without undue interference from him.

“If he’s in office and he has so much power, it’ll be difficult for the panel to do their work with a free mind. So, I think it’s a step in the right direction. Let him step aside; Nigeria is bigger than any individual,” the professor of law said.

Akinseye-George said the NIA DG’s suspension was also in order, adding that people whose credibility is called into question should not wait to be suspended.

“In fact, people shouldn’t wait to be suspended. People should resign when their credibility is called into question.

“It’s only in Nigeria that we hold on tenaciously to offices when our credibility is in doubt or is questioned. So, I think it’s a breath of fresh air that powerful officials are being asked to step aside so that investigations can be conducted,” he said.

Ofuokwu said with the suspensions, the president has proved that he is in charge and that no official is untouchable.

His words: “To have done otherwise is to carry a moral burden which puts a big question mark on the integrity of the President and on his fight against corruption. Though they are yet to be proven guilty by any court or judicial body of competent jurisdiction, their suspension is a perfect step in the right direction.

“The moment a credibility issue arises as with the case of these two gentlemen, the only reasonable thing expected of them is to step down from their exalted position until they are thoroughly cleared of any wrongdoing.

“We expect the President to go beyond this two and beam his searchlight on every member of the executive who carries a moral burden and/or a credibility issue and take out the same measure on them.

This will serve as a deterrent to all and a warning that it is no longer business as usual.”

Ubani, former NBA Ikeja Branch chairman, said Buhari’s courage and sincerity of purpose stand him out.

“These are the qualities that endeared some of us to Buhari: being decisive, being firm, very bold and strong, and being unpredictable. These are attributes of a good leader. It’s a virtue, not a vice.

“If there are people that are around you as a President, and tongues are wagging as to some level of malfeasance or indiscretion on their part, what a good leader will do is to take those people off their posts for a short time in order to investigate those allegations.

“President Buhari came with a strong reputation for integrity and with the people’s confidence. So, anything that has any iota of staining his reputation should be avoided at all times. He acted a bit late, but it’s better late than never.

“To me, it’s kudos to the president. Let those guys clear their names. If they’re found clean they can come back, if not, they should go from there,” Ubani said.

For Ogunleye, there is the need to imbibe a culture of transparency in governance, even in matters that concerns the President’s close associates.

He said the ideal scenario would have been for the officials to offer to step aside pending the conclusion of the investigation.

The NBA chairman said the NIA DG should be handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) especially with allegations that the money was found in an apartment under his wife’s control.

“We remember the example of the National Legal Adviser of the All Progressives Congress (APC). When he was invited by the EFCC, he offered to step aside. That is the kind of culture we should enthrone. People should not continue to sit tight in the face of such allegations.

“In the case of the NIA DG, apart from suspending him from office, I think he should be handed over to the EFCC for proper investigation because from what we’ve heard, the apartment where the money was found allegedly belongs to a company under the control of his wife.

“Even if the money was for genuine NIA operations, it is highly unprofessional that the money will be in an apartment allegedly under the control of his wife, who does not work for NIA. So, the suspension is a very welcome development,” Ogunleye said.