EFCC, SGF AND THE PRESIDENCY

The suspension of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Mr. David Babachir Lawal and the Director General of the National Intelligence agency (NIA), Ambassador Ayodele Oke, is not something to crow about because the president has already compromised his decision and that is going to influence the investigation into the matters, most especially, the one concerning the SGF, Mr. Lawal.

The SGF has been accused of awarding a contract worth more than N200 million without due process and that is the truth. According to my investigation, the contract in question was awarded to his personal company by him to cut grasses at the IDP Camp.

I stand to be corrected. The EFCC is known to be the body that is in charge of handling corruption cases like the one in question but I wonder why a committee is being set up by the same president that suspended the SGF to investigate him instead of following the due process of handing him over to the EFCC for investigation and probably prosecution. Is this not strange? I have already suspected foul play and wish that EFCC takes over the case and do the needful. The minister of justice, who defended the SGF when the issue was first raised, is a member of the committee that is going to investigate the SGF. Tell me how fair and transparent the investigation would be. 

Nevertheless, the setting of a committee by the president to investigate SGF has clearly shown that the president has no faith in the leadership of EFCC. I wonder why he can’t let go of its chairman, Ibrahim Magu. We are all aware of the president’s special interest in ensuring the confirmation of Magu by the Senate as the EFCC chairman, which has shown that Magu is the right man for the job, yet, the same president has diverted a case meant for EFCC to a committee. Why?  

I know very well that most of the committees set by the president to investigate corrupt cases against anybody do end up setting such a person free. It is even very true that those who get presidential committee to investigate them of any wrong doing are those special friends to the presidency that can always be set free after the investigation even when they are guilty. I must say the committees set by the presidency to investigate suspected corrupt personalities are always there to protect the suspects and the interest of the president in such cases.

If the presidency wishes to contest my claim and convince the public that the committee set to investigate SGF is not going to protect him and President Buhari, then the president should follow due process by handing over the SGF to the appropriate body, the EFCC, to investigate. However, if the president has no confidence in the leadership of the EFCC he should sack Ibramim Magu and replace him with somebody he can trust.

 The president should know that I am aware of his personal relationship with the suspended SGF and I will appreciate if he can ignore that and allow things to go in a proper direction and not to influence the investigation of the SGF. He should also not forget that he belongs to everybody and he belongs to nobody.

 Awunah Pius Terwase, Mpape, Abuja