The source noted that Bichi would soon leave the service, but he “is pleading to get an ambassadorial position for Saudi Arabia" to escape any probe.
Following the palliatives scandal rocking Nigeria's secret police, the Department of State Services, the DSS Director General, Yusuf Bichi, is currently lobbying to get an ambassadorial appointment to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a presidency source has informed SaharaReporters.
The source noted that Bichi would soon leave the service, but he “is pleading to get an ambassadorial position for Saudi Arabia" to escape any probe.
“The DG of DSS, Bichi is pleading to be made an ambassador of Saudi Arabia following the recent palliatives scandal. The man has been asked to go but he is demanding for a juicy ambassadorial position for Saudi Arabia,” the source revealed.
The All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration since the regime of former president, Muhammadu Buhari, has been notorious for “rewarding” loyalists and cronies with ambassadorial positions.
Buhari had gifted ambassadorial positions to some military chiefs under his government after they were asked to tender their resignation.
One of them was former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai, who was appointed as Nigeria's Ambassador to the Benin Republic, despite reports of embezzlement of funds for arms procurement.
SaharaReporters exclusively had reported several how Buratai used a military property firm to build a Bakery for his relations, and sponsor his wives on pilgrimages.
SaharaReporters reported on June 23, 2022, how the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) recovered N1.85 billion from a house and office said to belong to Buratai in Abuja.
Bichi, like Buratai, is currently being considered for the ambassadorial position he requested by the presidency and the powers that be whom he had meritoriously served their interest while he holds away as DG DSS not minding the scandal on the palliative.
It should be recalled that Bichi was lately in the news, on the allegation of appropriating subsidy grants meant for staff and paying himself a purported “goodbye allowance” as he was believed to be on his way out of the DSS.
The DSS Director of Public Relations and Strategic Communications, Peter Afunanya had denied both charges. https://twitter.com/OfficialDS
“The Service hereby states that the allegations are entirely false. It wishes to clarify that neither the DG nor anyone acting on his directive has looted staff subsidy grant. No such grant has been made available to the Service and once that is allocated, staff will, as usual, receive what is due them. Mr Bichi has, in all ramifications, evidently catered for the welfare of active and retired personnel.
“This is common knowledge and can be verified by Ude. Similarly, the so called "goodbye allowance" which Ude accused the DG of granting himself is non-existent. It is only an imagination of the writer and his sponsors.
“But assuming the DG is paid any severance package at the end of his tenure, how is that unethical and outside established public service rule? While Ude is at his mischief once again and has continued to smear the image of Mr Bichi as well as present him as corrupt, facts at the DSS show otherwise. Recalled from retirement in 2018 and appointed the DGSS, Bichi is seen as spartan, accountable, transparent and indeed, incorruptible.
“He has remained resolute in running the Service and shown uncommon commitment in the management of its affairs. His top priorities are staff welfare and judicious application of human and material resources. Any misleading narratives to the contrary are therefore unacceptable. Notably, the Service is aware of the desperation and antics of Ude and his other hirelings to associate it with unnecessary controversies either during the 2023 Presidential election or the subsequent litigations following it,” he had said.