The Vice President Yemi Osinbajo panel probing the
allegations of contract fraud against the suspended Secretary to the Government
of the Federation, Babachir David Lawal, continued its sitting yesterday.
The panel, which has Attorney-General and Justice Minister,
Abubakar Malami and National Security Adviser, Maj-Gen.
Babagana Monguno (rtd),
as members, grilled Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement,
Mamman Ahmadu, for over six hoursand late into the night.
Others who appeared were top officials of the BPP, the
agency responsible for vetting government contracts above N50 million.
The SGF is accused of influencing the award of contracts to
firms linked to him under the Presidential Initiative on the North-East (PINE).
His office supervises PINE.
Babachir appeared before the panel Tuesday and was
questioned for several hours.
Meanwhile, the Osinbajo committee has written to the Senate
to furnish it with the report that indicted Babachir Lawal.
The committee made the request in a letter addressed to the
Senate committee by Ade Ipaye, a Deputy Chief of Staff to the President in the
office of the Vice-President.
The letter with Reference: 5H/0VP/DCOS/PCE/SEN/O6, reads:
“You may please recall that on the 19th of April 2017, His Excellency, the
President and Commander-in-Chiéf of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of
Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR constituted a Presidential Committee to Enquire
into Allegations of due process Violation in the Award of Contracts under the
Presidential Initiatives on the North East (PINE).
By Wale Odunsi
