Senate ad-hoc committee indicts suspended SGF, Babachir Lawal to prosecuted

By Andre Falana On May 3, 2017

The suspended secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), Engineer Babachir David Lawal, has been indicted for abuse of office and mismanagement by the Senate ad-hoc committee.

According to Punch News, On Tuesday, May 2, the committee added that Lawal broke the law governing his office as SGF and called on relevant agencies to commence prosecution on the suspended SGF for reportedly awarding N500million contracts, through the presidential initiative on north-east, a rehabilitation programme which should be monitored by his office, to a company linked to him.

Senate ad-hoc committee indicts suspended SGF, Babachir Lawal to prosecuted

Senator Shehu Sani

The Chairman of the ad-hoc committee, Senator Shehu Sani, submitted the recommendation to the Senate during the plenary on Tuesday.

The indicting reports stated that:

“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.

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“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.

“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.”

The ad-hoc committee recommended that all misapplied and stolen resources by public office holders should be retrieved and anybody found culpable of breaching his/her oaths of office or neglecting any of the provisions of the Public Procurement Act, 2007 and the Federal Government Financial Rules and Regulations concerning the award of these contracts should be duly prosecuted by relevant agencies.

It also stated that: “Relevant agencies should ensure that contracts partially executed but fully paid for must be completed by the concerned contractors, or asked to refund the equivalent money of outstanding jobs to the government treasury.”

Also, Babachir Lawal and the director general of the national intelligence agency (NIA) Ayo Oke, will be probed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), if the 3-man panel set up by the Presidency finished its assigned duty and finds them culpable, as said the presidency herself.

This was revealed by the special adviser to the president on media and publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina on Channels Television.

Adesina noted that the two of them would be handed over to the anti-graft agency if the reports indicts them.