SGF backtracks, asks senate to reschedule hearing

Babachir Lawal, secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), has asked the senate ad hoc committee on the humanitarian crisis in the north-east to reschedule his appearance.

The committee had summoned Lawal to appear before it on Thursday. The summons followed allegations of corruption levelled against him.

But he wrote to the committee, saying that he would not appear before it because he had gone to court to challenge the invitation.

However, Lawal wrote again to the committee through Shehu Sani, its chairman, asking for a rescheduling of the hearing, citing a “pressing engagement” as the reason for his request.

“I wish to kindly request that you draw the attention of the other members of the committee that I will not be able to appear before the committee primarily because of a pressing engagement of government which clashed with the date and time of the hearing,” he wrote in the letter seen by TheCable.

In December 2016, the upper legislative chamber accused Lawal of mismanaging funds for internally displaced persons in the north-east.

The committee in its interim report alleged that the SGF, through the presidential initiative on the north-east (PINE)‎, which he headed, awarded a contract of N270m for the cutting of grass in Yobe state to a company he had an interest in.

‎It also alleged that Lawal awarded other contracts to his cronies.

The senate then called for his resignation.

But President Muhammadu Buhari dismissed the report of the committee on the grounds that Lawal was not given a fair hearing.

Owing to the intervention of the president, the senate committee invited Lawal to appear before it on Thursday to clear‎ the air.