Nobody can pressure President - Femi Adesina

While speaking on Channels TV on Monday, October 30, 2017, the spokesman said the president took his time to sack Lawal because he's a "painstaking and a thorough person" who doesn't reach a decision lightly, and ensures that the right thing is done.

He said, "Anybody who knows this president will know that he’s a man that takes his time but when he makes up his mind, he makes it up real good. Who can pressure the president? There’s nobody that can pressure him.

"He got that report on August 23, it came in six volumes - yes, there was an executive summary but apart from that executive summary, with a fine-tooth comb, he went through the main report and today (Monday) we have got his conclusions about the report and the recommendations.

"It shows that the 'mill of the gods', like they say, may grind slowly but they grind finely."

According to Monday's earlier press statement signed by the Adesina, the dismissal of Lawal and former Director of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ayodele Oke is based on the recommendation of the Presidential Investigation Panel headed by Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo.

The dismissals came after months of mounting pressure on the president to fire both for separate corruption allegations.

The president suspended Lawal on April 19 due to allegations of his complicity in the misappropriation of funds earmarked for the welfare of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) through the Presidential Initiative on North East (PINE).

He was indicted by an ad-hoc Senate committee who alleged that he had awarded a contract of over N200 million to dispose of 'invasive plant species' in IDP camps to a company where he had vested interest.

Oke was suspended after his public involvement in the controversial N13 billion loot recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from an Ikoyi apartment in April. He had laid claim to the funds, saying it was earmarked by the agency for covert operations.

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The president received the panel report from VP Osinbajo after his return from medical vacation in August and has been placed under pressure ever since to make his decision public.

The other members of the three-man panel are National Security Adviser (NSA), Babagana Monguno, and Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.

The president has promptly replaced Lawal with Mr Boss Mustapha as the new Secretary to the Government of the Federation with immediate effect.

He welcomed Mustapha into his new role at the Presidential Villa on Tuesday, October 31.