Buhari’s Order On Public Property Recovery Panel Subsists – Official

An official of the Federal Ministry of Justice has debunked a newspaper report that the Special Presidential Investigation Panel on the Recovery of Public Property (SPIP) dissolved by President Muhammadu Buhari has been reconstituted.

A senior public servant, who spoke to THE WHISTLER off-the-record, said that the panel has not been reconstituted and is still under the Permanent Secretary of the ministry of justice.

A newspaper report published on Saturday had claimed that the panel was “revived” by the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.

The SPIP was constituted in August 2017 and dissolved by a Presidential Order on September 18, 2019.

The official stated: “The information is entirely false.The dissolution of the committee was made at a time when the President had dissolved the cabinet and there was no minister, in September 2018.

“The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry was specifically directed to take over SPIP by a presidential directive and to remain in charge after re-appointment of ministers.

“That directive is still in place and the permanent secretary is still leading the panel and we don’t know where they got their information.”

The SPIP was dissolved by President Buhari on September 18, 2019 following allegations of corruption against Mr. Okoi Obono-Obla who was then its chairman.

The Solicitor-General of the Federation was ordered to immediately take over outstanding investigations and other activities of the panel.

The SPIP was established to investigate specifically cases of corruption, abuse of office and similar offences by public officers.