Contract Scam: Senate Indicts SGF, Determines His Fate Today

The Senate Committee On Humanitarian Crisis In the North East has recommended the prosecution of the suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Babachir David Lawal, having indicted him over alleged fraudulent contract awards through the Presidential Initiative on North East (PINE).

But the Senate will determine Babachir’s fate today as it is billed to consider the recommendation of the Senator Shehu Sani-led Committee’s report after which its decision would be forwarded to the Presidency for implementation.

Babachir Lawal had last week failed to turn up before the Senate Panel probing the contract scam on northeast development while he gave no reason for his absence from the sitting of the panel.

The Senate Committee had recommended for prosecution of Babachir and others involved in the alleged fraud by relevant anti –graft agencies.

The Panel’s Report, already placed before the Senate contained expose on bank transactions detailing how frauds were perpetrated by contractors said to have links with the embattled SGF, just as he failed to defend himself on the infractions noted in the award of contracts on north east rehabilitation.

Specifically the committee in the 45-page report exclusively obtained by our reporter stated in one of its recommendations that “:the suspended SGF is still the sole signatory to the multiple bank accounts of Rholavision Engineering Limited personally owned by him as glaringly shown through his Bank Verification Number (BVN) issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The committee claimed that its investigation revealed that SGF, through his company, cornered many of the contracts awarded by the PINE.

The Senate had in December last year on the strength of interim report of the committee, called for the sack of Babachir from office by President Buhari.

The President had in a letter forwarded to the Senate in January this year, said the report against the SGF on the alleged fraud was interim.

The president added that he could not take action against Lawal on the grounds that the Senate did not give him a fair hearing. The president also told the Senate that his findings indicated that the SFG did not soil his hands in the contract scam.

But the situation took a new twist for the SGF penultimate week when the President announced his suspension from office along with Director General of NIA, Ambassador Ayodele Oke.

Babachir’s suspension was hinged on alleged contract scam carried out through PINE while that of Oke was hinged on N13billion cash uncovered by operatives of EFCC in a private home in Lagos which is being claimed by NIA.