Buhari's SGF Alleged Corruption: Mr President to take action

The Presidency has said President Muhammadu Buhari would consider both sides of the matter in the case of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Mr. Babachir Lawal, who was on Wednesday recommended for sack by the Senate.

Femi Adesina said, “The SGF has defended himself. The President is very fair minded. He will look at both sides of the matter,”

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity was asked by Punch whether Buhari is likely going to heed the Senate’s call to sack Lawal.

He said the President would look at both sides before taking a decision.

The Senate had at plenary called for the removal and trial of the SGF following alleged complicity in the diversion of the North-East IDPs funds.

This followed the presentation of the report of the Ad hoc Committee on Mounting Humanitarian Crisis in the North-East by the Chairman of the Committee, Shehu Sani.

The call for Lawal’s removal followed alleged contravention of provisions of Public Procurement Act and the Federal Government’s Financial Rules and Regulations pertaining to award of contracts.

Presenting the report, Sani said some of the contracts were awarded to companies belonging to top government officials’ cronies and family members.

He explained that the committee found out that Global Vision Engineering Limited, a company, with Lawal as Director, for instance, was awarded the consultancy contract.

Sani said despite being an IT company, the firm got a job to clear grass in Yobe for N200m.