By Abdul Tukur 

Lanre Gbajabiamila, Director General of the National Lottery Commission has been asked to step aside from the post.

Mr  Gbajabiamila, a former Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos State Lotteries Board, who had already started signing documents and carrying out functions of the office of the DG of the commission was asked to stop as he did not wait to be confirmed before assuming duties.

The Senate is yet to confirm Mr Gbajabiamila following a decision made by the executive to keep Ibrahim Mustafa Magu, the acting chair of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

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Mr Magu was rejected by NASS lawmakers due to an intelligence report it got from the Department of State Service, DSS. However, the vice president, Professor Yemi Osinbajo has kept him in post, saying that a confirmation from the Senate was not needed.

This lead to the Senate stepping down some confirmation hearing.

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On Wednesday (May 17), during the plenary, the rep member for Kogi West cited Section 8(1) of the National Lottery Act 2015 as stipulating that there shall be for the commission, a director-general whom shall be appointed by the president subject to the confirmation of the Senate.

The leader of the senate Ahmad Lawan was then asked to investigate the matter.

Citing order 43, Mr Lawan said the DG of the National Lottery Commission “erred because he didn’t get the correct briefing and thus made a genuine appeal.”

Therefore, a conclusion “was made for the DG to step aside till due process is carried out.”