In what could be a slap on the faces of Senate committee members investigating the suspended SGF, Babachir Lawal on allegations of corruption, Lawal has failed to appear before the committee again.
Suspended Secretary to the Federal Government, Babachir Lawal
The suspended Secretary to the Federal Government, Babachir Lawal, was conspicuously absent at the Nigerian Senate ad-hoc committee members investigative hearing into the circumstances leading to his suspension which was billed to start 10.00 AM today, according to a report by Punch.
He was earlier served a notice mandating him to appear before the panel to clear his name on allegations of corruption leveled against him. The Committee, however, gave him until 12 noon to appear.
The Senate committe on Mounting Humanitarian Crisis in the North-East re-invited Lawal, for interrogation today over his alleged involvement in the misappropriation of funds allocated to take care of Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) in the North East.
The Upper House had last December, in an interim report, indicted Lawal for allegedly contravening the provisions of the Public Procurement Act, 2007, and the Federal Government Financial Rules and Regulations on the award of contracts under the Presidential Initiative on North-East (PINE).
Meanwhile, the SGF is at presently being investigated by a presidential panel over the allegation.
Not deterred by the fresh development on the matter, the Senate Ad-hoc Committee investigating the matter, wrote a letter inviting Lawal to its meeting in continuation of the investigation.
The invitation letter to Lawal which was signed by the Clerk to the Ad-hoc Committee, Barau Bungudu, asked the suspended SGF to appear at a fresh public hearing scheduled for today by 10 am.
The letter reads in part: “You may recall that the Ad-hoc Committee had invited you to appear before it for the second time on Wednesday, 15th March 2017.
“The Committee has granted your request conveyed in your letter dated 22nd March 2017, and re-scheduled the meeting.
“By this letter, I am directed to formally invite you to appear before the Committee on Thursday, 27th April 2017.”