First step to facing the music of corruption trial for the embattled former suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal has started on Monday afternoon with the official termination of his appointment and immediately replaced by the Director General of National Inland Waterway Authority (NIWA), Barr Boss Gida Mustapha from Adamawa State.
This is coming barely few hours after the national leader of APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu visited President Muhammadu Buhari at the Aso Rock Villa.
Also disengaged was the former Director General of national Intelligence Agency (NIA), Amb. Ayo Oke.
Both ousted men were indicted by the Presidential probe panel headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
In a terse statement via his handle yesterday afternoon, presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina tweeted thus: “PMB terminates appointments of Babachir Lawal, suspended SGF, and Amb Ayo Oke, former DG, NIA. Mr. Boss Mustapha is new SGF.”
A top EFCC official confided on Business Hilights that “The EFCC will not and has not spared anybody and the concerned persons are not different from other Nigerians investigated and prosecuted by the Commission. When it is time, we will do the needful”.
It would be recalled that apart from his nearly insubordination display at NASS invitation, the trended grass cutting contract where it was discovered that he had interest in all companies who got contracts in the North East Redevelopment scheme nailed him.
Mustapha, a lawyer, management consultant, politician, businessman and boardroom guru of considerable repute was late last year appointed the Managing Director/CEO of the National inland waterways Authority (NIWA).
Details gathered on him showed that the Adamawa State born-political tactician, attended Hong Secondary School, in Hong Adamawa state and North East College of Arts and Sciences Maiduguri Borno state, crowning it with WASC and HSC in 1976.
He earned his Bachelor of Law (LL.B) from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1979 and was called to bar in 1980. From 1980 to 1981, Mr Mustapha did the compulsory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) – Directorate of Legal of legal Services at the Army Headquarters and was in charge of review of Court Marshall Proceedings.
After his National Service, he joined Sotesa Nigeria Limited, an Italian consultancy firm, as an Executive Director in charge of Administration, leaving in 1983 to join the prestigious law firm Messrs Onagoruwa & Co in Lagos.
With his law practice fully taken off, Mustapha was appointed Principal Counsel in the firm Messrs Mustapha & Associates, His legal interests and expertise included privatization commercialization and Liberalization of Public Companies/Corporate and Government Parastatals. He was also involved in preparation of varied and miscellaneous banking documents such as Debentures, Guarantees, Mortgages, Bonds and Loan Syndications.
One of Mr. Mustapha’s career highlights was his appointment as a member of Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the defunct Petroleum (Special) Trust Fund (PTF), serving meritoriously from 2000 to 2007.
At the PTF, he was responsible for production of an up-to-date comprehensive project and programme report, including location, coverage and whether performed, performing or abandoned production of final report of Assets and Liabilities, examination of the Administrative structure and cost effectiveness of pf Projects and Services among other duties.
The new SGF had served at the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), as Social Secretary and Chairman at the Yola branch.
After his stint at the PTF in 2007, Mr. Mustapha was appointed Principal Partner of the law firm, Adroit Lex. He was a member, Nigeria Constituent Assembly (1988-1989), Chairman People’s Solidarity Party-Gongola State (1989-1990), state chairman, Social Democratic Party-Gongola State (1990-1991); he was even a gubernatorial candidate for SDP in Adamawa state in 1991. He was the Deputy National Chairman of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria from 2010 to 2013. In 2007, he again played a prominent role, serving as the Deputy Director General of the party’s Presidential campaign Organization. His services remained in high demand after the fusing of CAN joined forces with other parties to form the All Progressive Congress (APC). He was a member of NCC and Secretary APC Presidential Campaign Organization Mobilization (2015) and member, APC Transition Committee (2015). He is also a member, APC Board of Trustees.
He also a member of various professional bodies including African Bar Association (ABA), Commonwealth Lawyers Association, International Bar Association (IBA) and Human Rights Institute (HRI).
Currently, the new SGF is the National Vice President, Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship international Nigeria.
