Exclusive… Senate’s full report on N’East crisis ready, unearths more ‘fraud’ on SGF Lawal

The much-awaited full investigative report on the Mounting Humanitarian Crisis in the North East which is also expected to probe the Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr David Babachir Lawal, is ready in the Senate.

The SGF was on the 14th of December, indicted by the Senate’s interim report submitted by Senator Shehu Sani-led Adhoc Committee over alleged corruption in the awards of contracts in the North East worth billions of Naira.

But President Muhammadu Buhari had a fortnight ago, exonerated the SGF of any wrongdoing, saying he and his company were not given fair hearing by the committee.

Following the letter from President Buhari, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki ordered the Adhoc Committee to expedite action on the full report and also address some of the issues raised by the presidency.

Read also: CSOs at war over SGF Lawal, as 38 groups say SERAP has been bought for 2019 polls

Senator Sani’s committee immediately swung into action and invited the company belonging to the SGF, which is believed to have fraudulently handled the project.

The SGF was also invited by the committee to defend himself before turning in a final report.

Ripples Nigeria authoritatively gathered that the outcome of the investigation is ready and that the full report will be submitted when Senate resumes plenary on the 21st of February, 2017.

Chairman of the Adhoc Committee, Senator Sani, could not be reached for comment. Series of phone calls put across to his mobile phone number were not picked up. Unlike him, he did not return any calls.

But a member of the committee who is always at the forefront to defend Saraki and also played a key role in his emergence as Senate President, told our correspondent that the content of the full report is not so different from the interim one already submitted to the Senate.

He said there were however new discoveries by the Committee, regarding payments allegedly made into the private bank account of the SGF by his company in tranches.

The lawmaker said the details of the findings, with hard proofs will be submitted alongside the report.

Although he would not give further insights into the details of the new discoveries made by the committee, he however, revealed that the committee unearthed other fresh financial fraud which have also been captured in the full report.

By Ehisuan Odia….

 

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