
In a report by Abubakar Malami, the attorney-general of the federation (AGF), submitted to Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, the federal government has revealed what got Okoi Obono-Obla, former chairman of the Special Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property (SPIP) sacked.
Upon his sack in August, Malami was asked to take over the office, and look into several petitions raised against him.
According Report , Malami, in his report, alleged that two cases were officially referred to the SPIP, but Obono-Obla went ahead to investigate 50 cases without authorisation.
“This impudent and embarrassing action incurred the disapproval of Your Excellency, the Vice President and the subsequent suspension of the Chairman, Mr. Obla in 2017 via the State House letter Ref No. SH/OVP/DCOS/FMJ/0424 dated 20 October 2017 ‘Annexure L’ and further necessitated my office writing to the Honourable Judges to recall the said notices.
“This singular act by the Chairman of the Panel could easily have been misconstrued as a form of intimidation and interference by the Executive on the Judiciary, contrary to the principles of separation of power.
“It is evident from the present petitions and several other petitions that the Chairman of the Panel has not in any form complied with the enabling law of the Panel as communicated to him, reneged with the directives of the Presidency with grave and audacious impunity. Indeed, none of the investigations appear to have been authorised by the Presidency, a clear contravention of the Panel’s enabling law.”
On Sunday, he wrote to Buhari, accusing Osinbajo’s office of persecuting him for being loyal to the president.
Obono-Obla had gone into hiding since the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) declared him wanted.
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