Some senators have insisted that the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal must defend the corruption allegations against him or resign.
Lawal was indicted in the Presidential Initiative on the North-East, for allegedly owning one of the companies awarded contracts in the rehabilitation of the North-East.
The Senate had recommended his sack but Lawal in his response had said the lawmakers were speaking “balderdash”.
The President in his letter to the Senate had said Lawal was not given a fair hearing and so could not be sacked.
The Senators are demanding that President Muhammadu Buhari compels Lawal to appear before the Senate to defend himself, Punch reports.
The lawmakers are in support of the Chairman of the Ad hoc Committee on Mounting Humanitarian Crisis in the North-East, Senator Shehu Sani, who said Buhari’s letter to the Senate on allegations against Lawal was full of “lies”.
Senator Sani has however said the committee may invite Lawal again to defend himself.
“We can re-invite him (Lawal); there is no problem with that. If there is the need, we will invite him again,” he said.
Senator Adesoji Akanbi (Oyo South) said Lawal refused to appear before the Senate, while stating that the President’s letter did not address the allegations.
He said, “Every letter needs to be replied. That is the normal thing to do. On the issue of the SGF, the content of the letter written back to us by the executive is untrue. The interim report we have shows that seven members of the committee signed it. If at all it was signed by three members and the Presidency was conversant with our procedures, he would have known that ratio three to nine is one-third, which means a quorum was formed.
“On a serious note, the allegations were not treated; they were not mentioned by the President. It was an allegation and the man (Lawal) was given the opportunity of fair hearing. He refused to come and he sent somebody, and he felt the person he sent was competent enough to represent him.
“I think the only thing that can happen, if they want to prove that they are fighting corruption, which we believe they are fighting, Mr. President should impose it on the SGF to appear before the committee. If Mr. President is sincere and he is convinced that the SGF is not being fairly treated, he should ask him to come.”
Senator Danjuma La’ah said the Senate decision that the SGF resigns is final.
He said, “As far as we are concerned, we won’t take issue with the President or even the SGF. We have stated our final decision and it stands. Even the letter written by the President, I don’t think he is the one who wrote it. Something is fishy somewhere because the President cannot go so low.
“We had made a decision and he was still writing back to us, telling us that this is what he wants and it doesn’t work that way.”
Senator Ohuabunwa stated that Lawal must honour the Senate’s invitation.
He said, “Let us get the final report (by the committee) but he should come and defend himself. I think that should be the right thing. He should go to the committee and answer to its call as required by its invitation.”
“It is then left to the committee to compare what they have with what would be his response to the allegations.
“The right thing is, if the Senate invites you, you must honour that invitation and prove your innocence, if possible, with documents.”
