President Buhari appoints Acting DG NIA & Secretary to the Government of the Federation

President Buhari has approved the appointment of Amb. Arab Yadam and Dr. Habibat Lawal as acting DG NIA and SGF respectively. The appointments were in order to fill the vacuum created by the suspension of Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, David Lawal, and the Director General of the NIA, Ayo Oke,

Amb. Arab Yadam (Plateau State) is said to have taken over as the Acting DG of NIA, Yadam is said to be the senior Deputy DG among Oke’s two deputies and Dr. Habibat Lawal (Bauchi State), who is the most senior Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Secretary as the Acting SGF.

Meanwhile, there was disquiet in the Presidency last night following the summoning of the wife of the DG of NIA by EFCC.

The anti-graft commission has invited her for interrogation over the $43.4million recovered from Apartment 7B in Osborne Towers. Her company was alleged to have acquired the apartment for the NIA.

But some government officials were said to be opposed to the invitation of Mrs. Oke since a presidential committee was already in place.

“Some government officials felt the presidential committee should complete its assignment before EFCC steps in.

“They said it will be improper and untidy for a presidential panel to be investigating and EFCC is doing the same thing. “This development is causing some disquiet in the Presidency,” a source said.

The two suspended  officers were caught unawares by the news of their suspension.

Another source said: “As a matter of fact, there was no formal letter of suspension served on the SGF and the DG of NIA before the announcement was made.

“They were both in office when the news was broken to them by their friends and associates. So, they later heard it on radio and television.

“The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo however had audience with the two officers where he explained why they had to go on suspension.”

The highly-placed source believes that the government may not recall the suspended officials.

They might either be retired or asked to formally resign from office, he said, pleading not to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter.