President Muhammadu Buhari has rejected the recommendations of the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Mounting Humanitarian Crisis in the North-East to remove and prosecute the Secretary General of the Federation (SGF), Engr. Babachir Lawal over alleged involvement in a contract related to the Presidential Initiative for the North-East (PINE) for rehabilitation of the North-East. The Company in question was awarded over N200 million contract to clear ‘invasive plant species’ in Yobe State but failed to do so. The Senate through its investigations found out that the SGF was the Director of the Company.
In his letter which was read by the Senate President, Sen. Bukaola Saraki (APC: Kwara) at the plenary session of Tuesday, January 24, 2017, the President stated that in view of the allegation leveled against the SGF by the Senate, he had conducted series of investigation which revealed that the Senate had failed to meet the principles of fair hearing and compliance with the Senate Rules for conduct of investigations in matters relating to abuse of office by public officers.
It would be recalled that following the untold hardship and poor living standard IDPs in the North-East, the Senate had set up a nine member committee to investigate the mounting of humanitarian crisis in the North East.
