Five sins of suspended SFG, Babachir Lawal

Nigerian Senate, had in December called for the resignation and prosecution of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, David Babachir Lawal over infractions involving public procurement, particularly, contract awards by the Presidential Initiative on North East, PINE.

It followed the Interim Report of the Senate’s Ad-Hoc Committee on Mounting Humanitarian Crisis in NorthEast headed by Senator Shehu Sani.

The Senate indicted the SGF of sharp practices in expending the funds meant for alleviating the sufferings of the displaced in North East as well as other sharp practices.

According to the report, Lawal allegedly owns one of the companies awarded contracts in the rehabilitation of the North-East. It said Lawal resigned from the directorship of the company in September 2016 but was still a signatory to the company’s account.

The indictment, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Babachir David Lawal has denied. He had said reports linking him to alleged “N1.3 billion Contracts” and “contracts awarded to 20 ghost firms” were untrue but failed to appear before the Nigerian Senate til date.

Here are reasons why President Muhammadu Buhari approved Babachir Lawal's suspension:

1. Global Vision Ltd., owned by Buhari’s SGF, Babachir Lawal was indicted by the Senate for allegedly benefiting from inflated and phantom contracts – or ones not executed at all – awarded by the Presidential Initiative for the North East, PINE.

2. Global Vision Ltd., owned by Buhari’s SGF, Babachir Lawal allegedly got over N200 million contract to clear GRASS in Yobe State IDP camp.

3. Global Vision Ltd. was incorporated in 1990 to carry out ICT services, but it allegedly contracted to clear grass in 2016.

4. As at March 2016 that the contract was awarded to Global Vision Ltd, Babachir Lawal 'was still the director of the company. He only resigned in September 2016'.

5. According to the Senate report, Babachir Lawal is still the signatory to the account of Global Vision Ltd.