Senate to submit grass-cutting scam report to Buhari

The Senate yesterday  adopted the damning recommendations of its ad-hoc committee on “Mounting Humanitarian Crisis in the Northeast”.

Committee Chairman Senator Shehu Sani submitted its final report  on Tuesday for consideration.

The upper chamber also approved the Votes and Proceeding of yesterday to pave the way for the submission of the recommendations to the Presidency.

The report was signed by seven of eight members of the ad-hoc committee.

It was learnt that the Senate rushed the consideration and adoption of the committee’s report which heavily indicted suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Babachir David Lawal, to seal the recall of the embattled SGF.

Senate Leader Ahmed Lawan moved for 10 minutes adjournment to “allow the secretariat to prepare Votes and Proceedings of today”.

Minority Leader Godswill Akpabio promptly seconded the motion.

In line with parliamentary procedure, the chamber was reopened after 10 minutes for the lawmakers to adopt Votes and Proceedings of the day’s legislative business.

Some  senators claimed that “serious political and clandestine meetings were still being held in the  Maitama Abuja residence of Lawal aimed at saving him from the serious infractions he committed”.

After the adoption of the report, one of the senators hinted that “We are aware of sinister moves by a cabal of politicians desperately moving to get Lawal re-instated to his position. You will be surprised that just recently a governor led a delegation of politicians to Lawal’s house in Maitama where strategies for returning him were discussed.”

Deputy Senate Leader Bala Ibn Na’ Allah  noted that there were 25 companies linked to Lawal that bidded and got contracts from PINE.

Na’Allah said they were aware that there were individuals working with President Muhammadu Buhari who did not share in his vision to sanitise the country.

The Kebbi South lawmaker said the Senate would continue to expose corrupt people in Buhari’s government.

Warning the every kobo spent illegally by PINE must be retrieved, Na’Allah retorted: “You can fool some of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.”

Senate President Bukola Saraki commended the members of the committee for a job well done.

He commended the quality of the report “despite political pressures that we know exist.”

Saraki said: “The quality of the report despite political pressure that we know exists is highly commendable. The facts and document available to the committee are damning. The problem in the Northeast will not get better unless we do something urgently.

“What is happening in the Northeast calls to question activities of the anti graft agencies.  I don’t think that Babachir is the beginning of corruption in that agency (PINE). The system made it possible for this kind of looting. It is not just about Babachir. It is a systemic problem that must be tackled and dealt with. It also calls for stringent oversight by Senate committees.”

Part of the recommendation said: “Lawal having contravened the provision of Part 1 of the Fifth Schedule of the 1999 Constitution (As amended); the Public Procurement Act 2007 and breach the Oaths of Office as Secretary to the Government of the Federation, should be prosecuted by the relevant authorities.”

The Senate also adopted the recommendation of further investigation by relevant agencies on why contract benefitting companies paid over N500,000,000 into Rholavision Engineering Limited, a company in which Babachir David Lawal has interest.

Other recommendations of the committee also adopted included:

That the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) should undertake a revaluation of all such contracts to recover any proceeds from over inflated contracts;The committee is also of the view that the relevant agencies should ensure that contracts partially executed but fully paid for must be completed by the concerned contractors, or be asked to refund the equivalent money of outstanding jobs to the government treasury;The Senate agreed that all resources that have been misapplied or stolen by public officials should be retrieved and anybody found culpable of contravening any of the provisions of the Public Procurement Act, 2007 and the Federal Government Financial Rules and Regulations pertaining to the award of these contracts should be duly prosecuted by the relevant authorities.

The Senate agreed that in view of the confirmation by Central Bank of Nigeria that Babachir Lawal is the owner of all the contracting firms because  he owns the Bank Verification Number  accounts of all thirteen (13) other accounts, the suspended SGF should be prosecuted.

The lawmakers were shocked to learn that apart from the N270 million for the grass cutting contract, there was another N200 million was spent to hire consultants on grass cutting.

The Committee’s  report said  after receiving payments from PINE, at least five companies separately paid about N450 million to the Eco Bank account (182001809) of Rholavision Engineering Limited owned by Lawal as admitted by the  Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and his private account (0003004417) with Diamond Bank, as revealed in bank  statements.

“According to a CBN confirmation attached to the report, Mr. Lawal was still the signatory to the account of Rholavision until February 15, 2017 which shares the same Bank Verification Number with his personal account and 13 other accounts in commercial banks,” the committee said.

The report added: “Between March 29, 2016 and April 20, 2016, Josmon Technologies Limited transferred N317 million to Rholavision after receiving two “grass-cutting” contracts worth N530.6 million for the removal of invasive plant species in Yobe State.

“The transfers were made in tranches, mostly N10 million per transaction, and N47 million on the last day. For the “grass-cutting” contract, Mr. Lawal’s Rholavision was awarded the consultancy contract on March 8, 2016, while the owner was in the service of the government as federal cabinet secretary, in breach of Nigeria’s code of conduct for public officers and the Public Procurement Act.

“Apart from that contract which formed the basis of the call by the Senate that Mr. Lawal be removed and prosecuted by President Muhammadu Buhari last December, the suspended SGF was also into other fraudulent deals with companies using PINE as conduit pipe.

“For instance, on August 8, 2016, JMT Global Technologies Ltd transferred N30 million from its Zenith Bank account 114357188 to Rholavision. Then, JMT had just got eight contracts for “rehabilitations/renovations in Adamawa” State for the sum of N199.4 million.

“Messrs Adamawa Boreholes and Drilling Companies Ltd transferred N18 million to Mr. Lawal’s company, after clinching N54.8 million contract to renovate seven classrooms at Yeskule Girls Secondary School, Michika Adamawa State.

“Barde Brothers Multi-Services Limited which was also awarded seven contracts to renovate classrooms in Adamawa State for N145 million returned N71 million to Mr. Lawal’s company account on October 10, 2016, and another N13 million between July 7, 2016 and September 9, 2016 to his private account.”

With the submission of the resolutions of the Senate on the investigation to the Presidency, it is not clear the effect the resolution will have on the Presidential Committee probing alleged infractions by the suspended SGF.