SUSPENDED SGF SHUNS SENATE INVITE FOR THE THIRD TIME

Again, the suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Engr. Babachir Lawal, yesterday, shunned the invitation by the Senate Ad hoc Committee on Mounting Humanitarian Crisis in the North-East. This was as the chairman of the committee, Senator Shehu Sani, insisted that Lawal’s absence notwithstanding; the committee would compile and lay its report before the Senate next week.

The suspended SGF was severally invited by the committee to appear and give clarifications on his alleged fraudulent role in the award and execution of contracts targeted at alleviating the sufferings of the Internally Displaced  Persons (IDPs) in the Boko Haram devastated region, but failed to show up.

The Senate had invited Lawal for questioning yesterday in respect of his alleged role in the misappropriation of funds allocated for the rehabilitation of IDPs in the North-East.

Briefing journalists two hours after the committee waited in vain to hear from Lawal, the chairman of the committee expressed disappointment that the suspended SGF did not show up, neither did he communicate to the lawmakers on why he failed to attend the session.

But Sani said that Lawal’s absence from the hearing notwithstanding, the committee would go ahead to compile its report and submit same to the Senate on Tuesday next week.

Sani said: “The last time the committee invited him, the suspended SGF said we should give him more time because he was engaged in other official engagements; and we thought that now that he is under suspension, he would have enough time to be here.

“We sent letters to his former office, and his house, but the one for his house could not be delivered because the men at the gate turned back our messenger. Now we are here since 10a.m. waiting for him and it’s now 12p.m. It is clear to us that he is not appearing. As you can see, he is not here.