Ben Agande
10 October 2008
There were indications yesterday that the embattled Acting Director General of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS, Kuru, Dr Yakubu Sankey may have run into troubled waters with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), as the commission has commenced investigations into the subletting of the Institutes properties in Abuja.
The acting Director General was recently involved in a public altercation with the vice president Goodluck Jonathan over the suspension of Deinbo Briggs for allegedly stealing a camera from a fellow course participant when members of his course were on a tour of China.
Mr Briggs petitioned the vice president alleging that his suspension did not follow due process and that he was a victim of witch hunt by the Acting Director general.
After seeking legal advice from his Adviser, Mr Ahmed Guluk, and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr Michael Aondoakaa, the vice president adviced that the suspension of Mr Briggs be reversed pending conclusive investigation, an action that incurred the wrath of Mr Sankey who publicly accused the vice president of working against the autonomy of the Institute.
Vanguard however gathered yesterday that the officials of the anti graft agency are investigating allegations that the Acting Director General benefited from the leasing of the Institute's guest houses in Abuja.
Officials of the commission are said to have invited the Director General for questioning over his role in the leasing.
Meanwhile, a member of a Non-Governmental Organisation, Law and Due Process Institute, Dr Lawal Faki has accused the DG of NIPSS of pursuing a vendetta against Mr Briggs arguing that Mr Briggs headed the panel which indicted the Director General on his role in the leasing of Abuja properties of the institute.
Addressing newsmen yesterday, Dr Lawal alleged that Mr Deinbo Briggs headed the panel constituted by the then management of NIPSS to investigate the sublet deal and indicted him.
"In fact, information reaching our institute suggests that this same Sankey is neck deep in fraudulent practices. Our investigations show that he was found guilty in not too distant 2005 of illegally subletting a NIPSS property in Abuja at the cost of N34 million and was indicted accordingly by a panel reportedly headed by the same Mr D.A. Briggs whom he now, apparently, seeks to nail" he said.
While reiterating that he was not defending Mr. Briggs, Dr Lawal said his organisation was motivated by "our quest for respect for the law and the observance of due process in our dear nation".
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