The Secretary to the
Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Babachir Lawal, has made a U-turn
on his legal action against the Senate on its probe into the alleged
management of funds meant for the rehabilitation of the North-East.
Lawal has urged the Senate to reschedule his appearance before its Ad
Hoc Committee on Mounting Humanitarian Crisis in the North-East which is
carrying out the investigation.
The SGF, in the letter to the upper chamber on Wednesday, had said he
had dragged the Senate to court over the probe.
Lawal, in the letter to the committee, said he would not appear before
the probe panel today.
But in another letter dated March 22, 2017, the SGF said he would not be
able to appear before the panel “primarily because of a pressing
engagement of government which clashed with the date and time of the
hearing.”
The Chairman, Senate Ad Hoc Committee on Mounting Humanitarian Crisis in
the North-East, Senator Shehu Sani, said the probe was not a witch-hunt
against the SGF, whose office oversees the Presidential Initiative on
the North-East.
He said this while addressing journalists after the plenary on Thursday,
following a meeting with the Senior Special Assistant to the President
on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang.
Sani said, “Now, we are set to invite all those persons. It was supposed
to be today but, unfortunately, it could not happen.
“Meanwhile, you should understand that we are not investigating the SGF
alone; we are investigating contracts that were awarded under the PINE.
And over 20 companies were involved, but something very strange is the
fact that some of these companies involved in these contracts, we cannot
actually trace their addresses.
“We went there but they were not there. The option before us is to
either report that they are ghost companies or we keep on searching
until we find them. But it is most likely that it will be easier for the
camel to pass through the eye of the needle than for us to find some of
these names here.”
Enang, who also spoke to journalists, said there was no rift between the
legislature and the executive.
He stated, “Let me also state that the executive has great respect for
the institution of the Senate and the distinguished senators themselves.
“That is why the secretary to the government personally wrote and
signed, and he is requesting rescheduling of the meeting and not saying
he will not come. He is requesting rescheduling and the letter has been
delivered to the committee.” – -Punch.
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