Former military administrator of Kaduna State, retired Colonel Abubakar Umar Dangiwa has applauded Federal Government over the sack earlier in the week of the Director General of the Department of the State Service (DSS), the Lawal Daura.
While noting that the sack of Daura was long overdue, the retired military administrator however want government to ask the former DSS boss some questions as related to what he desribed as the “crazy maneuvers, many of which simply beggars belief” which characterised his tenure.
“The questions should include the following:
(I) Where and in what condition are all the assets handed over to Lawal Daura by the immediate past D-G , SS, Mr. Ita Ekpenyong?
(I1) What are the reasons why Lawal Daura deployed SS operatives and prevented EFCC personnel from searching the residences of former D-G, SS, Mr Ekpenyong and former D-G, NIA, Mr Oke?
(111) What is the explanation for the raid on the farm belonging to Ibrahim Magu, Chairman, EFCC, which raid led to loss of live?
(1V) Was it not true that Lawal Daura moved to seize and appropriate over fourty three million US dollar NIA funds if he was not prevented from doing so by the National Security Adviser?
(V) Why did Lawal Daura continuously and in blatant defiance of the President sent false reports to the Nigerian Senate that frustrated the confirmation of Ibrahim Magu as substantive Chairman of the EFCC?
(VI) Why did he continue to ignore court orders allowing several people detained by him to be released on bail?”
According to the former military officer, all the questions are necessary given all the distress created by the actions of Lawal Daura and those caused through his refusal to act.
“And yet, in the interest of our democracy, in order to guard against unexpected threats and conspiracies, the action taken by the acting President must not stop halfway,” said Umar who recalled that Daura, as the DG of DSS, had in the last three years marched from one audacious act of impunity to another; had rudely defied the President, had routinely ignored court orders.
The retired military officer noted that Daura successfully carved for himself, a government within a government in Nigeria, adding that there was hardly any observer of the turbulent Nigerian political scene over the last several years who still believed that Lawal Daura was subject to any laws not to speak of official code of behavior.
“But on Thursday, the 7th of August, 2018, Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo signed a terse, two paragraph letter telling Lawal Daura that he has been dismissed from office. Not only that, Professor Osinbajo also ordered Lawal Daura be arrested and remanded in police custody.”