The final report of the Senate ad-hoc Committee on Mounting
Humanitarian Crisis in the North East has revealed that contractors paid over
N500m in kickbacks to a company linked to the suspended Secretary to the
Government of the Federation, Babachir David Lawal.
Recall that an interim report, late last year, had indicted
Lawal for due process violation in award of contracts under Presidential
Initiatives on North East (PINE). The
over N500m discovered by the committee was paid to Rholavision Engineering
Limited.
The report presented by the chairman of the committee
Senator Shehu Sani (APC, Kaduna Central), to Senate at plenary yesterday is
expected to be considered today. In the final report, the Sani panel submitted
that N507m was paid into Lawal’s company account by seven PINE contractors.
It alleged that JOSMON technologies limited which got two
contracts, amounting to N530m from PINE, paid N317m to the company of the
suspended SGF in 23 transfers.
The panel also said JMI global technologies limited, was
awarded eight contracts amounting to N199m by PINE and it paid N30m from Zenith
bank account number 114357188 into Rholavision account with ECObank.
Also, Messers Adamawa Borehole and Drilling Company which
was awarded contract to renovate seven number of 18 classrooms at Yeskule Girls
Secondary School Michika in Adamawa state at N54.8m transferred N18.3m to the
suspended SGF’s company.
Another N58m was paid to Lawal’s company by Yuby Ventures
limited which was awarded a contract of five numbers of 15 classrooms at
Hausari Primary School in Adamawa.
The panel also uncovered that Barde Brothers multi-service
Limited which was awarded seven contracts for renovation of classrooms in
Adamawa state at N145.6m was paid N71m to Rholavision in three installments. The company also paid another N13m into personal account
(no. 0003004417) of the suspended SGF at Diamond bank in three instalments.
The committee said it discovered that the suspended SGF
resigned in September 2016, but that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has
confirmed that he was the signatory to accounts of the company as at Wednesday,
15th February 2017.
“In the course of its investigation, the committee observed that Rholavision Engineering Limited has become a destination pool for companies that were awarded contracts by PINE and other government agencies to make payments into its (Rholavision) account no. 0182001809 with ECObank, “it said.
The committee recommended that further investigation be
carried out by relevant agencies of government on why contract benefiting
companies paid over N500m into Rholavision Engineering Limited, a company in which
the suspended SGF has interest.
“The banks transaction of Rholavision Engineering Limited and the confirmation by CBN that the Bank Verification Number (BVN) of Babachir David Lawal is still the signatory to Rholavision and 13 other accounts, some with different names.
“The committee is of the opinion that Lawal has contravened the provision of part 1 of the fifth schedules of the 1999 Constitution and the breach the oaths of office as SGF and therefore he should be prosecuted,” the committee stated.
The panel also said that all resources that had been
misapplied or stolen by public officials should be retrieved and that anybody
found culpable of contravening any of the provisions of the Public Procurement
Act and the Federal government financial rules and regulations pertaining to
the award of these contracts should be duly prosecuted.
It also recommended that relevant agencies should ensure that
contracts partially executed but fully paid for must be completed by the
concerned contractors.
The panel further said that since it was observed that there
was no bill of quantities on most of the contracts awarded by PINE under the
emergency situation, the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) should undertake a
revaluation of all such contracts to recover any proceeds from over-inflated
contracts.
Recall that the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo-led committee
investigating allegations against Lawal had last week requested the Senate to
produce relevant documents on the matter.
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And yet some people think he was suspended because he is a Christian that was why he was suspended.
ReplyDeleteIF THE SGF SUSPENDED ACTUALLY DID ALL THESE, THEN TO DIRTY TO HAVE
ReplyDeleteKNOWN BUHARI IN THE FIRST PLACE
STILL WAITING FOR THE PRESIDENTIAL PANEL REPORT TO AUTHENTICATE THIS...
what re we waiting for, he should be in d prison, pple hav no food to eat in north east yet dis idiot is busy colecting bribe on their head. heartless man
ReplyDelete