Senate Vows Not To Allow Buhari Reinstate Babachir Lawal As SGF

Nigerian Senate has vowed to stop any move by powerful political forces within and outside government to reinstate suspended Secretary to Government of the Federation, SGF, David Babachir Lawal.

This followed its consideration of the final report of its adhoc Committee, which accused Lawal of process violation in award of contracts under the Presidential Initiatives on North East (PINE) on Wednesday.

The 45-page report was submitted by the Committee Chairman, Senator Shehu Sani (APC, Kaduna Central).

The final report revealed that contractors paid over N500m in kickbacks to a company linked Lawal.

The bribe was discovered to have been paid to Rholavision Engineering Limited.

Senators were shocked that besides the N270 million for the grass-cutting contract, there was another N200 million spent to hire consultants on grass-cutting.

An interim report, late last year, had indicted Lawal for corruption.

After deliberations yesterday, Senate said it would not hesitate to go into a fresh war with the Presidency if Lawal returned from his suspension by using very serious legislative interventions to engage the Presidency.

It also resolved to immediately send its resolution to President Muhammadu Buhari for immediate action, even as it adopted the report.

After considering the votes and proceedings on the parliamentary process required in arriving at a logical conclusion on the matter, Senator Muhammad Shittu (APC, Jigawa North-East), moved for the adoption, while Senator Ben Murray- Bruce (PDP Bayelsa) seconded it.

In his remarks after adoption of the final report, Senate President, Bukola Saraki, confirmed the existence of pressure groups to protect the job of the suspended SGF.

Saraki said: “I am sure of the kind of pressure on the members; especially the chairman and some of us in the leadership and the kind of pressure we were under.

“But for you to have been able to stay firm and do your job, and carry out your responsibility, I must commend the committee and the chairman, in particular.”