SGF shuns Senate ...as lawmakers ask Customs boss to resign

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir David Lawal, has said he will not appear before the Senate panel today, citing a subsisting court case on the matter.

A Senate ad-hoc panel had summoned the SGF over alleged fraud in the award of contract by the defunct Presidential Initiative on North East (PINE).

But the SGF said in a letter addressed to the chairman of the panel, Senator Shehu Sani (APC, Kaduna) yesterday that he would not be able to appear before the committee because he had gone to court to challenge the invitation.

Babachir came under allegations that PINE, which is under his office, used the sum of N270 million in clearing grasses in some communities in the North East as part of the programmes under the initiative.

PINE was also alleged to have spent the sum of N188m for Nigerian refugees living in Minawao, Republic of Cameroon.

His personal company was alleged to have been the ultimate beneficiary of the contract through a proxy.

The Senate in October last year constituted the adhoc committee to conduct a public hearing to ascertain how much was released to PINE and how it utilized the funds.