From Fred Itua, Abuja

Senate is now in custody of the final report of its Ad hoc Committee which investigated Mounting Humanitarian Crisis in the North-East and has indicted suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr David Babachir Lawal of alleged corrupt practices.

In its recommendation, the Senator Shehu Sani-led committee  recommended, among others, that “the suspended SGF, Mr David Babachir 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 committee also “recommended further investigation by relevant agencies of government on why contract benefitting companies paid over N500 million into Rholavision Engineering Limited, a company in which Lawal has interest.

Other recommendations of the committeewhich may be laid before the Senate, today, are that: “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 committee also asked that all resources that have been misapplied or stolen by public officials should be retrieved and anybody found culpable of oontravening 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 committee further informed the Senate in its report that, in view of the confirmation by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) that Lawal is the owner of all the contracting firms because  he owns the Bank Verification Number  (BVN) for all 13 other accounts, the suspended SGF should be prosecuted.