Okoi Obono-Obla, former chairman of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property, whose suspension was allegedly sanctioned by the President, Muhammadu Buhari, has said he was never served a suspension letter by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha.
He claimed that his removal was illegal under the public service rule.
Punchng.com recalls that a letter signed by the SGF on August 14, 2019, with reference number 58788/S.75.18/T1/100, said the President had approved Obono-Obla’s immediate suspension pending the investigation of the Independent Corrupt Practices, and other related offences Commission, ICPC into alleged falsification of records and financial impropriety.
On December 27, 2019 Obono-Obla, who was declared wanted by the ICPC on October 22, 2019, released a message on his Facebook page suggesting that he was in Nigeria and attending social functions despite ICPC’s claims that he had left Nigeria on August 17, 2019 through the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos and had yet to return to the country.
Obono-Obla in a latest posted on his Facebook page on January 4, 2020, claimed that prior to his suspension, he survived two attempts at his removal, adding that the directive for him to report at the ICPC was absurd.
"I was purportedly suspended as the Chairman of the now disbanded Special Presidential Investigation Panel for Recovery of Public Property through an announcement in the media!
“Until this moment, I am yet to be served a letter to that effect. Prior to my suspension, there had been two failed attempts to remove me because I was seen as ‘uncompromising, uncontrollable and a non-team player’ by some people in the upper rung of government.
“However, I want to state that my purported suspension was indeed a breach of the dictates of fair hearing and the procedure laid down in the Public Service Rules regarding the suspension of a public officer.
“I was informed in the media of my purported suspension and directed to report myself to the ICPC! This is absurd!
“Under our constitutional/criminal jurisprudence, a suspect is presumed innocent till the contrary is proved! Directing me via the media to report to the ICPC to prove my innocence tantamounts (sic) to prejudging me even before commencement of the investigation of the allegations made against me.
“Another ridiculous allegation against me was violation of human rights! This allegation is baseless because the panel never had a detention facility throughout its two years of operation!
“Suspects under investigation were always granted administrative bail as soon as they met with the panel’s administrative formalities on grant of bail. Nobody was ever held more than 24 hours.”
