By ADEDAYO AKINWALE

Solicitor General of the Federation has been asked to provide information to the public on about 23 high-profile cases of corruption transferred by the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property to the Office of the Solicitor General of the Federation and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice.

The cases were transferred in August last year through a presidential directive.

Invoking the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre), in a petition by its Chairman, Mr. Olanrewaju Suraju, addressed to the Solicitor General, Mr. Tayo Apata (SAN), said the cases were indeed transferred, but the public has been kept in the dark as to their status.

In the request, HEDA gave a seven-day notice to the Solicitor General in accordance with the provision of the FOI Act.

HEDA said its request was informed by suspension of Okoi Obono Obla as the Chairman of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property.

There were media reports that President Muhammadu Buhari allegedly suspended the panel which was to investigate specifically mandated cases of corruption, abuse of office and similar offences by public officers in order to allegedly divert the attention of the public.

Buhari had ordered the transfer of responsibilities to the Solicitor General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Justice to continue with all outstanding investigations and other activities of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property.

“Since the transfer of these high profile cases, nothing appears to have been done. HEDA has been watching with keen interests. Nigerians have been waiting since the transfer of the cases but nothing has been done. It is important to know what has happened to these crucial cases,” Suraju said.

Danbatta to Deliver Bullion Lecture

Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Professor Umar Garba Danbatta is to deliver the 2020 edition of The Bullion Lecture.

Danbatta is a renowned scholar, an erudite engineer, astute administrator, philanthropist, and a nation builder per excellence.

Danbatta holds B.Eng and M.Sc degrees from the Technical University of Wroclaw in Poland, and PhD from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, United Kingdom.

Until his appointment as EVC/CEO of NCC, Danbatta was a lecturer in the Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Technology, Bayero University, Kano, for 32 years, where he taught courses in telecommunications engineering and electronics and held academic positions of Dean of the Faculty and Head of Department at different times.

Danbatta will be speaking on Telecoms, Digital Banking and Nigeria’s Economic Development.

The Bullion Lecture, a platform conceptualised by Centre for Financial Journalism (CFJ Nigeria) for lively discourse on national and international issues, is always delivered by first-rate academics and professionals.

The 2020 edition of The Bullion Lecture will hold on March 26, 2020 at The Civic Centre, Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue, Victoria Island, Lagos.

According to a press statement issued in Lagos by Founder/Chief Executive Officer of CFJ Nigeria, Mr. Ray Echebiri, the Lecture will be chaired by President, Africa FinTech Network and former President/Chairman of Council, The Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, Dr. Segun Aina. (THISDAY)

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