The Presidency has called for an investigation into the civil service to identify and remove individuals believed to be leaking sensitive information to opposition parties.
This follows a recently leaked memo signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Senator George Akume to President Bola Tinubu, approving N500 Million out of ₦1 billion requested to cover costs for a 37-member tripartite committee on the new minimum wage.
Presidential adviser Bayo Onanuga requested the probe after the memo was leaked showing funds allocated. He said this is just the latest confidential document that has become public, out of others that moles in the administration leak to the opposition.
“There are moles around who are doing the bidding of the opposition,” Onanuga told media. “They are not respecting civil service rules for handling official secrets.”
The leaked memo approves ₦500 million out of ₦1 billion requested by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Senator George Akume amid hike in food crisis and major protests in Nigeria
The opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) called for a separate investigation into the released funds, after it’s statement on the memo which it described as an insensitive waste and sheer disregard for the suffering of Nigerians.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, the PDP lashed the move as the height of profligacy” when workers are still owed January salaries and “millions of Nigerians are starving due largely to inadequate investment in food production, insecurity and harsh economic policies of the government”
Reacting, Onanuga however believes the bigger issue is identifying individuals disloyal to the administration who have access to sensitive information. He said probing how these memos get out is crucial for security and maintaining confidentiality.
As a result the Presidency will “root out” any “fifth columnists” leaking data to undermine the government.
As of today, protests regarding unbearable inflation and cost of food items, has spread to three states namely: Niger, Kano and Osun States, even as Nigerians await Tinubu’s sound economic strategies to salvage the crisis
