Buhari fires Babachir Lawal as SGF, replaces him with Boss Mustapha

Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari has finally sacked Babachir Lawal, as Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).

He has been replaced by Boss Mustapha.

This was contained in a statement sent to the Media, by Buhari’s Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina.

The statement reads, “President Muhammadu Buhari has studied the report of the panel headed by the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, which investigated allegations against the suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Babachir David Lawal, and the Director General, National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ambassador Ayo Oke.

“The President accepted the recommendation of the panel to terminate the appointment of Mr Lawal, and has appointed Mr Boss Mustapha as the new Secretary to the Government of the Federation. The appointment takes immediate effect.

“President Buhari also approved the recommendation to terminate the appointment of Ambassador Oke, and has further approved the setting up of a three-member panel to, among other things, look into the operational, technical and administrative structure of the Agency and make appropriate recommendations.”

Others members of the investigation panel were: the National Security Adviser, General Babagana Monguno (rtd) and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami.

Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari suspended Babachir and Oke on April 19.

The panel investigated allegations of violations of law and due process made against Lawal in the award of contracts under the Presidential Initiative on the North East (PINE), while it probed Oke on the discovery of huge cash by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in a residential apartment at Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos, for which NIA laid claim.

A Senate Committee on Humanitarian Crisis in the North-East, which had earlier found the suspended former SGF culpable of alleged complicity in a N200million grass-cutting contract to clear “invasive plant species” in Yobe State, had demanded his resignation and prosecution.