Fayose writes Osinbajo, demands release of panel report on alleged corruption against SGF, NIA DG

Ekiti State Governor and Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

Governors Forum, Mr Ayodele Fayose has written to the Acting

President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, demanding the immediate release of the

report of the investigative panel on corruption allegations against

the suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr

David Babachir Lawal and Director-General, National Intelligence

Agency (NIA), Mr. Ayo Oke.
In the letter dated July 11, 2017 and received at the Acting

President’s office on July 13, 2017, the governor also demanded that

the Acting President must “act expeditiously on the report”,

threatening to approach the law court to compel the Acting President

to release and act on the report if he fails to do so.

Special Assistant to the governor on Public Communications and New

Media, Lere Olayinka said in a statement issued on Sunday that

Governor Fayose told the Acting President “never to habour the view

that the matter can swept under the carpet,” saying the government’s

war against corruption lacked credibility and had, thus floundered

because of the government perceived penchant for sweeping allegations

of corruption against top functionaries of the federal government and

members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

“I dare to say that this is one of the reasons the so-called war

against corruption has not attracted public support. It lacks

credibility and has, thus floundered. It is also the reason your

administration has lost case after case in the court of law, even

though administration officials have tried to cover government’s

Achilles heel as well as their own howling incompetence under the

pretence of corruption fighting back,” the governor said.

The latter read; “Let me begin by appreciating Your Excellency’s

yeoman efforts directed at quelling fires all over the country and

stabilizing the polity. Daunting as this task might seem, especially

as agent provocateurs for selfish and diabolical interests continue to

stoke the fire and fan the embers of discord and disunity rather than

queue behind you, assist your noble efforts, and let all hands be on

the deck to salvage our beloved country, take solace and receive

renewed strength, vigour and vitality in the fact that your efforts

have begun to yield positive fruits and that the vast majority of the

citizens appreciate and applaud your efforts and stand resolutely with

you. As I have often said, the power of the people is greater than the

power of those of us in power. In our own little corner, we, too,

stand with you. And this being so, you can only succeed, and not fail!

Therefore, every support and every advice that Your Excellency

requires to succeed we promise we will not hide away from you,

partisan politics notwithstanding.
“In this wise, permit me, Your Excellency, to prod your memory about a

Presidential committee constituted months ago by President Muhammadu

Buhari to investigate allegations of high corruption against two top

officials of this administration, namely the Secretary to the

Government of the Federation, Mr. David Babachir Lawal; and the

Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Mr. Ayo Oke. The

Presidential committee, headed by your good self, was given two weeks

to submit its report. That was many months ago. The two top officials

concerned were placed on suspension but nothing has been heard on the

matter ever since. It would appear the matter has been swept under the

carpet or, in the Nigerian popular parlance, has been treated as the

“family affair” of the ruling APC government.

“It will be most unfortunate indeed if this, truly, is the case. For

one, the appropriate response to the very serious issue of corruption

against the suspended SGF and the NIA DG should not have been the

setting up of a committee to investigate; rather, both men should have

been handed over the two men to the Economic and Financial Crimes

Commission (EFCC) for investigation and arraignment in a court of

competent jurisdiction. Your Excellency will agree with me that this

has always been this government’s recourse when alleged corruption

cases involve members of the opposition PDP; estranged members of the

ruling party. In fact, PDP members and non-members of the ruling APC

alleged to be corrupt, such as judges, are first harassed, haunted,

hounded, arrested and locked up, tried and convicted in the media and

visited with public lynching while the Department of State Service

(DSS) and the EFCC take their time to search for or conjure evidence

against them.
“The preferential treatment given to the two top-notch members of your

government is bad enough – and they are the only members of the ruling

party that have got this slap-on-the-wrist treatment. So reckless and

audacious had your government become in this regard that a serving

Senator who is a member of your party said on the floor of the Senate

that your government uses insecticides when dealing with alleged cases

of corruption involving members of the opposition but applies

deodorant when members of the ruling party are involved. I dare to say

that this is one of the reasons the so-called war against corruption

has not attracted public support. It lacks credibility and has, thus

floundered. It is also the reason your administration has lost case

after case in the court of law, even though administration officials

have tried to cover government’s Achilles heel as well as their own

howling incompetence under the pretence of corruption fighting back.

“Were President Buhari to be around, this issue would not have been

any of your bother. All that would have been required of you would be

to turn in your report within the stipulated time and the ball would

then have been squarely in the president’s court. Fortunately and

unfortunately, President Buhari has been away on medical tourism for

most part of this year and as the Acting President, the buck now stops

on your desk. Your Excellency, Nigerians demand two actions from you:

First is that you release the report of the corruption investigation,

which you presided over. Secondly is that you act expeditiously on the

report. May I advise, Your Excellency, that you should never habour

the view that this matter can swept under the carpet for two reasons.

One is that Nigerians are not unmindful of the outcome of your

investigation even if it has not been officially released. Two is that

should you fail to release the report and act on it, I shall approach

the law court to compel you to do so.
“Your Excellency, as a Law professor and Senior Advocate of Nigeria,

Your Excellency must not be associated with illegalities and

cover-ups; not to talk of your highly exalted position as a man of God

who must speak truth at all times and uphold the Biblical admonition

to let justice flow like the mighty river. I have refused to agree

with those who, on account of your egregious stance on the EFCC boss,

Ibrahim Magu’s continued but illegal stay in office; posit that the

hood does not make the monk and a chain of titles and degrees does not

translate to sound judgment. Kindly take up the challenge to prove

those doubting Thomases wrong.
“Your Excellency, because our dear country, Nigeria, is the concern of

all of its 170 million citizens as well as for the benefit of our

friends the world over, permit me to make copies of this letter

available to the media and other interested persons and organisations

locally and internationally.”