President Muhammadu Buhari wants to hear the defence of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Engr. Babachir Lawal and the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission( EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu on the allegations against them before deciding of their fate,The Nation can now reveal.
Lawal is accused of conflict of interest because of inflation of contracts awarded to his company, Rholavision Engineering Limited, which was incorporated in 1990 with RC No. 159855 at the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, Abuja while Magu’s nomination was not considered by the Senate because of a report by the Department of State Security Service( DSS) alleging some infractions by him.
The President was billed to meet with the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami( SAN) last night on issues pertaining to the allegations against the two officials.
A presidency source familiar with the matter said last night that the president ” prefers to hear from all sides and exhaust all options. He wants to be fair to everybody.”
Continuing,the source said:”Unlike what obtained when he was a military Head of State when he could treat such issues with dispatch, he is being painstaking as a civilian leader.
“His decision on any issue is subjected to fairness to all, the rule of law and respect for the tenets of democracy.
“I know that he will be fair and judicious. He does not rush into issues again because we are in a democracy.”
Responding to a question, the reliable source added: “All I can assure you is that if any public officer is indicted, the President will not spare him or her.
“The President will certainly not shield or protect anyone, no matter how highly placed. But he will also not indulge in miscarriage of justice.”
Another source contacted yesterday said: “As part of his schedule for Friday, the President will have audience with the AGF who was mandated to look into some allegations by the Senate against the SGF and issues behind the suspension of the confirmation process of the Acting EFCC chairman by the Upper Chamber.
“We do not know whether or not the AGF will submit his report to the President. But he is part of those listed for audience with Buhari on Friday.”
Before its Christmas recess, the Senate had recommended the sack of the SGF because of his alleged implication in the mismanagement and diversion of funds meant for the Internally Displaced Persons in the North-East.
The Senate also claimed that Lawal was involved in a conflict of interest because of inflation of contracts awarded to his company, Rholavision Engineering Limited, which was incorporated in 1990 with RC No. 159855 at the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, Abuja.
The company was contracted to provide consultancy services for the removal of wild grass species in Yobe State on 8th March, 2016.
The resolution of the Senate was sequel to contributions by Senator Dino Melaye, APC, Kogi West while contributing to the Interim Report of the Ad- hoc Committee on Mounting Humanitarian Crisis in the North East which was presented by the Chairman, Senator Shehu Sani.
But the SGF said: “The Senate is talking balderdash; it has developed the habit of ‘bring him down syndrome’. Nigerians have decided that we should destroy our best; we should all destroy the promising and best among us by bringing people down without a cause. This is just how I saw it.”
The tension over the report made the President to ask the AGF to look into allegations against the SGF by the and get a response from Lawal.
Magu’s nomination, on the other hand,was not considered by the Senate because of a report by the Department of State Security Service( DSS) alleging some infractions.
Magu has however denied any wrongdoing in a response to a query by the AGF.
