‘Grass cutting’ scam re-echoes as SGF budgets N60m for ‘tree cutting’ in 2017

Echoes of the ‘grass cutting’ scam that has trailed Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, reverberated at the House of Representatives Tuesday when a N60m budget proposal for tree cutting presented by the Presidential Committee on the Northeast (PCNI) was shot down.

The PCNI is under the supervision of Lawal who is currently embroiled in a N200m contract scandal over cutting of grass in the northeast. Calls for his sack by members of the Nigerian Senate have been turned down by the presidency with President Buhari issuing Lawal a clean bill.

Perhaps, unperturbed by calls for his sack, the office of the SGF, in a N45billion 2017 budget proposal submitted to the House of Representatives Committee on Internally Displaced Persons and Refugees on Tuesday, again requested the sum of N60million for “clearing of trees and shrubs on Maiduguri-Damboa road, Maiduguri- Bama-Gwoza-Mubi road, Uba-Lassa road.”

The presentation was made by Tijani Tumsah who is Vice Chairman of PCNI under the Security, Stabilisation and Peace Building segment of the proposed 2017 budget.

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Unimpressed by some of the irreconcilable differences in the budget, the House Committee threw out the budget, directing that it should be thoroughly reviewed for a later consideration by them.

Among the several queries raised by the Committee were repetitions in certain claims. For instance, a request was made for, “Rapid Renovations and Reconstruction of Security outfits, standardised camps, and other productive works” while a separate proposal of N600 million was made for “standardisation of camps and upgrade.”

In another case, the PCNI proposed the sum of N100 million for “Strategic Communications, Media and Publicity” while another N40 million was proposed for “Media and Publicity” for all other segments.

Disturbed by these perceived contradictions, House Committee chairman, Zani Zorro lashed out saying, “You can’t travel this same way again, it is not acceptable. Why can’t you assign this duty to the military to do it for you? They can use their personnel to clear the grasses and you can drop this idea of awarding contracts with N60 million.”

Concerned that the PCNI could be acting beyond its mandate , he added, “You are going to deliver security equipment for N200 million. What type of security equipment? Then another N2.5 billion for security outfits. Are you telling us that part of your role is to fund the operations of the military in the North-east? The military have their own budget already.

“You have N184 million for screening programme for humanitarian activities. What does that mean? There is N150 million on advocacy and early warning system and N165 million for conflict management.”

Not done, another member of Zorro’s committee, Adamu Kamale, said, “PCNI is not a military agency. This N8.4 billion should be converted to rehabilitation of burnt houses and schools. I am an IDP, so I know where it pains. N5 billion out of the money can rehabilitate up to 50 per cent of the houses.

“Our people back home will not forgive us if we pass this budget like this.”

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