Rift between Senate and SGF deepens
*As Babachir shuns budget defence
Failure of the Secretary General of the Federation, Babachir David Lawal, to appear before the Senate’s Federal Character Committee to defend the office’s 2017 budget proposal, on Thursday, has further deepened the misunderstanding between the Senate and the SGF.
David Lawal’s absence aggravated the committee members’ annoyance as they could not hide their displeasure by walking out the Permanent Secretary, General Services in the office of the SGF, who was sent to represent the SGF at the budget defence session yesterday.
It was gathered that the SGF through his Permanent Secretary informed the committee of his absence through a telephone conversation minutes to commencement of the meeting scheduled to hold at 10am on Thursday.
He was said to have told the permanent Secretary at the last minute that he was away from Abuja attending the funeral of the Sports Minister’s first wife, Naomi Dalung, who died recently.
Some of the lawmakers who spoke on condition of anonymity with our correspondent however frowned at the failure of the SGF to notify the committee in a written communication ahead of time on his planned absence.
The lawmakers, after refusing that the Permanent Secretary represent Babachir Lawal, insisted that the SGF communicate a new date when he would be disposed to appear before the committee.
It was further gathered that the committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs thereafter briefed the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, on the circumstances and events which led to its decision to postpone the budget defense meeting initially scheduled to hold yesterday.
A reliable source disclosed that members of the committee led by Senator Tijjani Kaura (APC Zamfara North), while briefing the Senate President on the course of action to be taken, said their insistence for Lawal to appear to defend the budget of his office was to intended to ensure that the SGF complies with laid down tradition of the upper chamber.
It was also gathered that the committee’s action was taken to prevent the upper chamber from going on a collision course with the presidency over budgetary discrepancies likely to arise that needed the clarification of the SGF.
One of the lawmakers said: “Much as we try to protect him as a brother, there are limits to what he should do. What he ought to do is seek the understanding of the committee to reschedule which is a normal thing.”
“As far as the committee is concerned, courtesy demands him to call the Chairman. He does not appear, he does not show concern. Since he’s not here and not ready, he should make contact with the committee to reschedule.
“Why he’s not here is not cogent. He said he went to condole the loss of a loved one, but here we have a colleague, a Senator for that matter, who is also supposed to attend the funeral of a loved one staying back to attend the budget defense. As far as we are concerned, the excuse he gave of going to bury a loved one is not a good one at all,” another lawmaker added.
But a source at the office of the SGF revealed that a letter addressed to the Senate committee, was delivered to its Chairman, Senator Tijjani Kaura Thursday evening.
In the letter, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation requested to appear before the committee on Monday to defend the office’s budget.
The source said: “As at today (yesterday) evening, we wrote the committee stating the intention of the SGF to appear Mondayto defend the budget.”
Recall that the relationship between the Senate and SGF became frosty following recent calls by the upper chamber on President Muhammadu Buhari to sack him over what it described as gross abuse of office.
The apex legislative assembly also called for Lawal’s prosecution for allegedly violating the provisions of the Public Procurement Act, 2007 and the Federal Government Financial Rules and Regulations pertaining to the award of contracts.
The Senate reached the resolution sequel to consideration of an interim report of its Ad hoc Committee on North-East Humanitarian Crisis which indicted the SGF.
But President Buhari, in a letter addressed to the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, about two weeks ago, cleared the SGF of any wrongdoing, as alleged in the Senate report on Humanitarian crisis in the north east.
