THE National Caretaker Committee (NCC) of the Peoples Democratic Party has rejected the setting up of an investigation panel into the allegations against suspended Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), David Babachir Lawal and Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ayo Oke, rather than being arrested and detained as it’s done in the case of members of the opposition party.
In a statement issued by spokesman of the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led committee, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, in Abuja on Thursday, it also demanded an independent commission of inquiry into the allegations.
It said: “In this context, we are alarmed at the Suspension of the SGF at a time that Nigerians and the International Community are excitedly enjoying the theater of the absurd playing out with the recovery of huge sums of money without owners.
“Now the APC led Federal Government suddenly realized the corruption allegation levelled against the SGF; and instead of arresting and detaining him as the Government has been doing to PDP members and other Nigerians, he was rather suspended and a committee set-up to investigate him. This is to say the lead double standard.”
The PDP noted that even though some Nigerians have applauded the suspension of the SGF and the DG NIA, as an indication of a new commitment by President Buhari to fight the anti corruption war without fair or favour, it however pointed out that it was “another ruse to deceive Nigerians and dress up the failed anti corruption war in a new garb.”
The statement recalled that the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee headed by Senator Shehu Sani investigated the expenditures and activities of the Presidential Initiative for North East (PINE), which Lawan in his capacity as the SGF was overseeing as well as the alarming rate of humanitarian crisis in the North-East occasioned by the diversion of grains from the Strategic Grains Reserve and other food supplies meant for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) in that Region.
“Consequently, the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee indicted the SGF, Engr Lawal for the mismanagement of PINE Funds and the award of multi-million Naira grass Cutting Contract to one of his companies, Rholavision Engineering Limited and other ghost companies,” it stated.
The PDP observed that while the Senate recommended the resignation and prosecution of the SGF, the president swiftly cleared him in a letter to Senate dated January 17, 2017.
The party kicked against the membership in the investigation committee of the Attorney General of the Federation who authored the initial letter clearing Lawal.
It argued: “We are at a loss why the President would set up a panel comprising members of his cabinet to investigate other senior very powerful members of the same executive. Where is the transparency in that?
“Not that we doubt the integrity of the Vice President (for whom we have the utmost respect) and other panelists but it appears the matter is being settled within the government closet without the transparency, independence and impartiality necessary in a situation like this. Justice must not only be done it must be seen to have been done.
“This is especially important given the fact that we recently travel this road when the President asked the Attorney General to investigate the SGF (on this same matter) and Magu, the acting chairman of the EFCC.
“That investigation cleared the SGF of all wrong doings in the grass cutting scandal. It is amazing that the President who swiftly accepted the recommendations of the Attorney General would now suddenly set up another panel comprising the same Attorney General to investigate the matter again.
“The Pertinent question is whether the President has now realized that the initial investigation by the Attorney General was not thorough or a cover up to protect a fellow cabinet member.
“If that is the case then the President need to come clean with Nigerians by formally repudiating and rejecting the report. He must then tell Nigerians why the author of such a dastard, useless and worthless report should be included in the new panel.
“Against this backdrop, we are constrained to express our lack of confidence in the new panel headed by the Vice President. Instead we demand an independent commission of inquiry comprising eminent Nigerians of proven records of integrity, independence and competence.
“This is the only way by which we can have confidence that a thorough and impartial investigation will be conducted and by which the President also can reassure the general public that there are no sacred cows in his government for whom there are different set of rules. The present situation amounts to the government being the judge in its own cause. We do not believe that justice can be served that way.”
and then