By Ishaya Ibrahim
Radical politician and second republic lawmaker, Junaid Mohammed has said that the sacked director general of the Department of State Security (DSS), Lawal Daura lacked the brain power and temperament for the office of which he had been relieved.
In a telephone interview, Junaid told TheNiche he was happy that Acting President Yemi Osinbajo got rid of Daura as the DSS DG because the man’s appointment was done in bad fate.
“In fact, if Buhari had known what was good for him, he should never have appointed Lawal Daura as the DG DSS on the advice of his nephew, Mamman Daura.
“First, his appointment was unusual for the following reasons. One, he was forced out of service under a cloud. He was found to be fraudulent on the issues of cars, diesel. Number two, he was known to be going around asking for money from some Lebanese when he was in Kano. I knew that for a fact.
“Then thirdly, if you are in that kind of service, you should not give room for people to doubt your patriotism. I am yet to meet a single member of the DSS who worked with him who can vouch for his patriotism,” he said.
Junaid said it was also wrong for Buhari to have brought Daura, whose career was terminated before he reached the compulsory age of retirement, back to the service.
Hear Mohammed: “He should never have been brought back into service and made to be superior to those who have remained in service, disciplined, patriotic and who did their jobs.
“If you want a way to really destroy moral, then go and bring people who have been bench warmers and make them to supersede other people who have been passing their exams in the service.
“It is the same thing which is going to destroy the NIA because they brought somebody who could not pass his exams, who decided to marry a foreigner contrary to the instruction in the NIA. He married a Moroccan. And they brought him and made him to supersede those who were senior to him and who have been passing their exams. This is the same thing that applies to Lawal Daura.”
Junaid said it was wrong to sacrifice merit for political considerations.
He said in the particular case of Lawal Daura, Mamman Daura who recommended his appointment was also a beneficiary of unmerited appointments.
“Mamman Daura has no right to recommend anybody because he had been an admin officer in his previous office before he came to New Nigerian Newspaper as Assistant Editor before he became Editor and then MD of the newspaper.
“He is not even a trained journalist. He has never attended even one-month course in journalism,” he said.
He maintained that the appointment of Lawal Daura was in bad fate because he did not merit the job.
“He Is known to be rude and crude, abusing people who are his seniors. As far as I’m concerned, it should not have happened.
“But since it has already happened, some of the things which are wrong as a result of his handling of the office should have caused the government to send him packing.
“One, he is known to be very corrupt. He has now an estate in Abuja as I’m talking to you. Here is a man who was collecting money from people. He could not even live in Daura. He was living in Kano. Now, he has an estate.
“In the course of his investigation now, we have to know what is the fate of the money found in Lagos because I understand that the money declared was not exactly what was found.
“There was also money found in the office of the NIA, physical cash in dollars. We want to know how much was the money and how much was declared.
“Thirdly, there is the issue of Ita Ekpeyong. He and Ita Ekpeyong became friends after Ekpeyong was taken out of service. He used to go to Ekpeyong to collect what they call welfare. For you journalist, it is like collecting money in brown envelope. He used to go and collect.
“When Ekpeyong was to handover to him, he handed over certain money in dollars. And he told him that he collected the money from Jonathan. And he said this is the amount we used and this is the balance. In declaring the money, Lawal Daura did not declare the money correctly.
“In the course of investigation, EFCC wanted to invite Ekpeyong, Lawal Daura sent his men with armed weapons.
“He doesn’t have the temperament for that kind of job. And I know on his own merit, his own capacity and knowledge, he would never have risen to the DG DSS,” Junaid said.
