Why Senate asked SGF to resign

The Senate on Tuesday asked the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, to resign his appointment over alleged award of‎ N200 million contract to clear “invasive plant specie” in Yobe State to his personal company under the Presidential Initiative for the North East.

The Senate also called for immediate prosecution of Babachair.‎

The Senate has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to suspend and ensure his prosecution.

The Senate’s decision was sequel to the Interim Report of the Senate Adhoc Committee ‎on Mounting Humanitarian Crisis in the North-East .

The committee was headed by Senator Shehu Sani.

According to investigation,‎ Lawal’s company, Global Vision Limited, was indicted by the committee for allegedly benefiting from inflated and phantom contracts – or ones not executed at all – awarded by the PINE.

The committee found that as of the time the contract was awarded in March 2016, Lawal was still the Director of Global Vision Limited and that he just resigned in September.

The committee revealed that SGF was still signatory to the company’s account when it was awarded.

Some senators who spoke on the issue such as Dino Melaye, Isa Misau and Adeola Olamilekan, called for the removal of the SGF based on the interim of report of the committee.

Therefore, the Senate in its resolution, ordered‎ PINE to turn in all documents pertaining to contracts it had awarded and that all government officials, apart from Lawal, found to have contravened law in the processes of the contracts, should be prosecuted.