Daura: End of an era at DSS

His appointment was trailed by criticism, just as his ouster has been greeted by commendation in many quarters.
For the immediate past Director General of the Department of State Service (DSS), Lawal Daura, it was majorly, a bumper ride to the end.
CHIZOBA OGBCHE x-rays some of the major events that sign posted Daura’s days as DG and his eventual removal from office by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo.
Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, yesterday, directed the removal of the Director General (DG), Department of State Service (DSS), Lawal Daura, in what appeared to be a twist to the on-going conflict between members of the National Assembly on the platform of the All Progressives Congress and their counterparts in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Security operatives from different agencies including the DSS, had yesterday morning laid siege on the National Assembly, reportedly to prevent the opposing NASS members access to the complex as part of alleged plot to change the leadership of the Assembly following the recent crosscarpeting.
The Senate leadership was said to have scheduled a meeting in the chambers later in the day, however, APC lawmakers quickly dissociated themselves from the security operation, just NASS members on the platform of PDP accused the federal government of giving backing to attempt by APC lawmakers to truncate democracy.
Daura was appointed to office in July 2015, by President Muhammadu Buhari, taking over from Ita Ekpenyong.
Born on August 5, 1953, in Daura, Katsina state, he attended Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, from 1977 to 1980.
He started his career in the Service in 1982 and rose to the rank of Director and was at one time the Deputy Director Presidential Communication, Command and Control Centre at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, between 2003 and 2007, among others.
The dramatic come-back of Daura, who is said to have left the the Service in 2013 with a tainted record, which should have ordinarily disqualified him from the very sensitive job, did not go down well with both serving and retired service men and women.
For many, the only credential that earned him the job was his relationship with the president as his kinsman.
He was believed to have had a clear mandate to re-organise the DSS, which is believed to have been dragged into the murky waters of politics ahead of the 2015 general elections.
However under him, officials of the service were stripped of their constitutional roles of protecting the President.
In a bid to, reportedly, ensure firm grip on the personnel quite a number of senior officer were, compulsorily, retired including the spokesperson of the Service at the time, Ms Marilyn Ogar, who is challenging her retirement at the industrial court.
The DSS, under the ousted DG, was not media sensitive and did not have any channel of communication between the media, especially to confirm incidents involving personnel of the service, giving room for speculation and publication of unconfirmed information.
For journalists, deployed to cover the service, this was not the best of time as statements released to the media, aside being properly censored, usually was signed by a particular personnel while the far and in between press briefings, under Daura, was addressed by a different personnel and both would not disclose their designations.
Often times, press briefings were a onechannel activity as questions from the media, are usually not addressed, just as the media interview of suspects were censored as well.
The Service boss is also said to have been very unpopular with personnel given his alleged insensitivity to their welfare.
Daura was said to have stopped payment of duty tour allowance and other allowances thereby demoralizing the personnel and undermining the nation’s security.
He also, allegedly denied directors at Daura the national headquarters accommodation by converting the houses to personal use.
Blueprint checks further revealed that but for the regimented nature of the service the personnel, especially the junior officers, would have openly protested against the ousted DG.
Reign of the cabal Daura was among seven Nigerians said to have far-reaching influences on President Buhari’s decision and actions.
The President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, during one of his trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) had alleged that a powerful cabal within the President Buhari’s government had hijacked power from the retired general.
The statement which the Presidency debunked claiming it to be ‘ridiculous and preposterous’ since it was not backed by facts, was, however, re-echoed by the President’s wife, Mrs.
Aisha Buhari.
Mrs Buhari in an interview with BBC Hausa warned that her support for her husband for 2019 election rests on the her husband’s readiness to shake-up his government, noting that the government has been hijacked by the cabal, who are “behind presidential appointments.” Daura, who has a good relationship with the Buhari, is a regular visitor to the Presidential Villa and unlike many appointees of the administration, had access to the President and often joins him for the Friday Jumat services at the Villa.
Daura is said to have been unperturbed about criticisms of the service activities reportedly believed that nothing can happen to him because he had a firm grip given his proximity with the powers that be.
He is said to have been convinced that not even the president can dare him after all he is touted as a strong member of the cabal holding the president hostage.
Cabal vs Magu The ousted DG, alongside President Buhari’s influential nephew, and Chief of Staff to the President, Mr. Abba Kyari, reportedly hatched plan to have the acting Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu, removed from office and redeployed back to the Nigeria Police Force.
Part of their plan was the letter the DSS sent to the NASS advising against Magu’s confirmation, however, when this failed, they were said to have approached the InspectorGeneral of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris, to recall Magu to the Force.
Magu, reportedly, fought back by instituting probe into Daura’s alleged corrupt practices as DG.
The commission was said to have started a proxy war by attempting to reach the DG by probing his predecessor, leading to a clash between the operatives of the DSS and the EFCC.
The commission operatives, On November 21, 2017, armed with both search and arrest warrants, made a failed attempt to arrest Ekpeyong, and his National Intelligence Agency (NIA) counterpart as the DSS DG, saw through Magu’s moves that he, rather than Ekpeyong, was the actual target of the EFCC investigation.
EFCC officials, who had gone to the immediate past DG’s Asokoro residence, met stiff resistance from the DSS operatives guarding the residence.
The ugly scenario played out at Oke’s residence.
It was gathered that resistance from Daura’s men was indeed a desperate move to cover up the alleged cesspool of corruption going on in the DSS under him as several petitions to the presidency on the rot in the DSS under him had been successfully blocked.
The warrants, were said to have been obtained as part of investigations into the $2.1 billion arms procurement fund allegedly disbursed for the 2015 elections by the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col Sambo Dasuki (retd), just as part of the fund had allegedly been traced to the DSS and NIA.
It was learnt that the $43 million and naira components found in the Ikoyi apartment was reportedly the share of the NIA from the fund.
This is as the DSS was said to have got $30 million from the fund for its operations, out of which Ekpeyong had expended $9 million.
The former DSS boss is said to have handed over the balance of $21,237,435.72 to Daura in cash.
There are suspicions that Daura may have converted the money for personal use, just as he is alleged to have also mismanaged $12,960,480,740.38 being the balance in the Service Pension Fund account.
Judiciary misadventure The DSS under Daura, on October 7 and 8, 2016, had taken the nation by storm following the simultaneous sting operations against seven court judges, in different parts of the country in an attempt to fish for evidence of corruption against them.
The victims included two Supreme Court Justices, Sylvester Ngwuta and Inyang Okoro, who were arrested in Abuja; Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja; Chief Judge of Enugu state,Justice Innocent Umezulike; Justice Kabiru Auta of the Kano State High Court, and Justice Muazu Pindiga of the Gombe State High Court.
The operatives, failed in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, where the Governor, Nyesom Wike, and the Commissioner of Police in charge of the state, thwarted an attempt to arrest Mohammed Liman of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt in the same manner.
The service came under heavy criticism following the perceived clamp down on the judiciary.
Raid on Akwa Ibom govt The October invasion, was an improvement over the September 2015, attack on the Akwa Ibom Government House in Uyo, without the consent of the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel as well as the CP.
Operatives of the service had raided the guest lodges, breaking doors and windows without a court order or search warrant.
The motive for the operation remains unknown till date amidst criticisms.
Disregard for rule of law The DSS under Daura was also criticized for flouting of court orders especially regarding Dasuki, who has been in the custody of the DSS for over three years, despite several bails from different courts, leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, Ibraheem Zakzaky; and Leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
The IPOB leader was arrested on October 19, 2015, was eventually released on very stringent bail conditions.
Similarly, the IMN leader was arrested and detained alongside his wife and some close family members, following the sect’s clash with the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai; which saw over 300 members of the sect allegedly being killed.
in Kaduna.
He has since remained in custody despite several court orders directing his release from custody.
End of an era The sudden termination of Daura’s appointment and reported arrest by the Nigeria Police Force may not be unconnected allegations of misappropriation of funds and abuse of power against the former DG, expectation is that the new boss of the Service would confront, head long, immediate challenge of disgruntled staff among others.
This is as Daura’s removal may also sign post the end of the reign of the cabal.