Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity was a guest on Channesltv where he spoke extensively on the suspension of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF),Babachir Lawal and the Director- General of the Nigerian Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ambassador Ayo Oke by President Muhammadu Buhari. TEMIDAYO AKINSUYI who monitored the session brings the excerpts:

Let’s begin with the question asked by the suspended SGF, Babachir Lawal, ‘Who is the Presidency’?

It takes me back to school days when we were taught rhetorical questions. And what we were told was that rhetorical questions don’t need an answer. So, I just see that as a rhetorical question.

You issued the statement saying President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered investigation into allegations of abuse of office made against the SGF, Mr. David Babachir Lawal. Oftentimes, people use the word ‘Presidency’ when they are not referring to the president personally…

(Cuts in) There are certain things you can’t do unless it has the backing of the president. If the president is actually the one running the country, then anything you do, particularly some key things must have his backing.

Not even when the Vice President is in acting capacity?

But he is currently not in acting capacity. If he is in acting capacity, then his media aide will issue the statement.

When we say the Presidency sometimes, who are we referring to?

Well, I must return that to the media because most times, when anybody talks, it could even be a presidential aide, the media attributes it to presidency. So, it is a media issue. Even if a personal assistant to the president does something or posts something on facebook, they say it is the presidency.

You were part of this constituency, so when you say it is a media thing, is it a good or a bad one?

If I was actively in the media, I will probably do the same thing. That is why I said it is a media thing. I just understand what is being done; I understand why it is being used. I know it is a media way of doing things.

So, do you think the question by the suspended SGF ‘who is the presidency’, do you think it is appropriate?

I’ve said it is a rhetorical question, and rhetorical questions don’t necessarily demand an answer. But then, if we must get an answer to that question, then we must get it from the SGF because he asked the question.

The President, according to your statement ordered the suspension of the SGF as well as the DG, NIA and also set up a committee to investigate the matters. People are asking that since the issue involving the DG NIA is a recent matter while that concerning the SGF has been in public domain since December 2016. Why was the two matters lumped together?

There is a saying that the matter is not fully settled until it has been permanently settled. You noticed that the SGF matter has been running and it is in the interest of so many people that it should be permanently settled. One, is the interest of the SGF himself. This is a man who has had a career, who has made a name as an engineer and then he came to serve his country and that matter has been running. It is his interest that the matter is finally and properly settled. Then, it is in interest of the electorates that voted this government. This government campaigned on many plans- securing the country, anti-corruption and reviving the economy. Therefore, the electorates want the matter finally settled.

So, why was the matter left running for so long?

So long is relative. You remember that there was the resolution from the Senate that the SGF be removed and the president replied and said ‘No, due process was not followed’. Don’t forget that the president, as I have told you before is a man who does things after considering all sides of the coins. He is a man who takes his time, who err on the side of caution.

But the general feeling is that he only takes his time when it concerns people around him…

(Cuts in)It is not true. He takes his time in everything and he himself has said it. When he came into power 33 years ago, he was 42 years and you know how he did things. He did things like a young man. But now, he is 74 and he does things like an old man that he is. He sees all sides of the coin and hears all sides of the argument painstakingly.

So, what did he see that informed the suspension of the DG of NIA?

It’s a running issue and it’s a major issue. You know that that volume of money has not been seen anywhere in this country before. It is a matter that you can’t just run without a response. Also remember that it wasn’t even done immediately. It’s been in the public domain for more than a week and when it was time to do something about it, something was done. The two issues involving the SGF and NIA DG are incommensurate. You can’t compare the two.

Then why lump them together?

Because he is trying to set up an investigative team; an investigative team can look at both issues. That is why it is done together now.

Why set up a committee to look into allegations of impropriety, perhaps alleged fraud?

Head or tail, you will never win with some Nigerians. They will always find faults. But then, government has been elected and government is in place to do certain things and government will do what it believes to be right at any given time. Government believes that setting up an investigative team at this point is right and government has the mandate of the people. So, government is doing it. It will not satisfy everybody but it does not matter.

The president earlier wrote to the senate clearing the SGF. Why then set up a panel to investigate and suspend him now?

That word you used, I have had to correct it a number of times. Clearing is not the word. You said he wrote the senate ‘clearing’ the SGF. No, the text of that letter is in the public domain. Read it again. Is there any clearing in it? No. The president only said due process was not followed. It is not the same thing as clearing. So, the president didn’t clear anybody.

The president, according to the senators was not in any mood to remove him as SGF then, so what changed from then and now that he has to be suspended?

Just like you said, remove. Remove is also not the word. Suspended is a better word because he is just asked to step aside to give an unfettered opportunity for investigation. The outcome of the investigation will determine what follows next. And it is very important that that investigation is done for the sake of even the people involved, because if that investigation is not done and this issue is not brought to closure, it’s like an albatross that hangs round their necks for life. So, it is very important that the issues are investigated.

Is this committee going to factor the report of the senate that talked about the PINE not able to account for N2.5 billion and several other reports from the senate which indicted the SGF?

The three-man committee comprising of the Vice- President, National Security Adviser and the Attorney- General of the Federation who is also the Minister of Justice are going to look at the gamut of all the issues so they can come out with a conclusion that is fair, just and right.

Why wasn’t this matter referred to the EFCC and the case of the NIA DG referred to the DSS. Why set up a three-man committee in the first instance?

It’s a matter of procedure by government. If government feels this is the way we want to go about it and it is lawful, then there is nothing wrong with it. I believe there is nothing wrong with the government setting up a panel to investigate.

How deep is corruption in the presidency?

No, you don’t need to single out the presidency. The question is ‘how deep is corruption in Nigeria?’. There is corruption everywhere in the country and don’t forget that the Vice- President has said it before that there is corruption everywhere – judiciary, executive, legislature. There is corruption everywhere, possibly even in broadcasting. There is corruption everywhere in Nigeria. The vice-president said it before that there is corruption everywhere.

You saw the newspaper headlines saying the president resets the war on corruption, suggesting that there is renewed vigour in the fight against corruption. As the president’s media adviser, what do you make of it?

The conclusion may have been right that it is a resetting of the anti-corruption war but in reality, the anti- corruption war had been there and it has been going on. It’s just that those headlines came because of the weight of the people involved this time, an SGF and a DG of a foremost intelligence agency. That is why they concluded that there is a resetting, but in reality, that war had been there and has been going on without let or hindrance.

Mr. Godwin Obla, who works in the presidency also said social media has been in celebratory mood because a lot of people feel that the war against corruption had been on a down low and this is not what they expected until two days ago when they heard of the suspension of the SGF. What is your take on that?

You don’t necessarily use the social media to judge. Yes, the opinion you see there will matter but then, it may not be the final thing to use to judge. You know they say that a mob has many heads but just one person controls them. This is because when that person says ‘let’s go this way, the mob follows’.

What was the feeling that you got after releasing the statement announcing the suspension of the SGF and DG NIA?

Your question would have been relevant if you had allowed me made the point I wanted to make. That point is that the anti-corruption war had been there. You don’t necessarily judge something by the volume of noise that accompanies it. You don’t judge it by newspaper headlines either. I listened to Mr. Obla that the social media was in celebratory mood but that couldn’t be the only yardstick you will use to judge the anti-corruption war. The voice in the social media matters but you know that the social media is like a motley crowd.

http://independent.ng/president-buhari-never-cleared-suspended-sgf-wrongdoing-adesina/

was not

i didn't even bother to read the lies.lies are like the peak milk advert for APC, it's in them.

Hogwash Anti-Corruption Crusade

Government of lies

Akuko