Senate rubbishes Osinbajo’s probe, seeks trial of suspended SGF over Grass-cutting deals
A fresh and highly expected twist has emerged, following the Senate Ad Hoc Committee’s report recommending the prosecution of the embattled suspended Secretary of the Government of the federation (SGF), Mr. Babachir David Lawal for allegedly awarding contracts worth N500m, through the Presidential Initiative on North-East.
The management of the Initiative was originally under the Office of the SGF and it was alleged to have awarded majority of the said contracts to a company in which he had interests.
Leading recommendation of the final report by the panel, which was laid before the Senate by its Chairman, Senator Shehu Sani, at the plenary on Tuesday advised inter-alia “all resources that have been misapplied or stolen by public officials should be retrieved and anybody found culpable of contravening any of the provisions of the Public Procurement Act 2007 and the Federal Government Financial Rules and Regulations, pertaining to the award of these contracts, should be duly prosecuted by the relevant authorities”.
The report also made it clear that “That the banks transactions of Rholavision Engineering Limited and the confirmation by (the) Central Bank of Nigeria that the Bank Verification Number of Babachir David Lawal is still the signatory to Rholavision Engineering Limited accounts and 13 other accounts, some with different names. The committee is of the opinion that Babachir David Lawal has contravened the provision of Part 1 of the Fifth Schedule of the 1999 Constitution (As amended); the Public Procurement Act 2007 and breach the Oaths of Office as Secretary to the Government of the Federation and should be prosecuted by the relevant authorities; and
“That the committee also recommends further investigation by relevant agencies of government on why contract-benefitting companies paid over N500m into Rholavision Engineering Limited, a company in which Babachir David Lawal has interest.”
Senator Sani’s probe report also averred that just as all the contracts awarded by PINE were done under the principle of emergency situation; PINE should forward a detailed report of all contracts awarded by it to the Bureau of Public Procurement in accordance with Section 43 (iv) of the Public Procurement Act, 2007.
The Senate Committee observed further since it was clear that there was no bill of quantities on most of the contracts awarded by PINE under the emergency situation, the BPP should undertake a revaluation of all such contracts to recover any proceeds from over-inflated contracts.
Business Hilights recalls that several efforts made by the Senate to see him at the panel seating failed, thus forcing the Senator Shehu Sani’s Committee to make do with facts and figure before it to arrive at the recommendations contained in the report.
Analysts say with the presentation and adoption of the report, the ongoing presidential probe of the matter may have become invalid by law.
