The Looting of Funds For Displaced Persons Under The Supervision of the SGF, Babachir Lawal Needs Your Attention

The ad hoc committee constituted by the Senate to investigate the N1.3billion contracts allegedly awarded by the Presidential Committee on North-East would summon the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Babachir David Lawal, Daily Trust on Sunday has gathered.

The Senate had, on Tuesday, constituted a committee chaired by Senator Shehu Sani (APC, Kaduna Central) to probe the award of the contracts by the committee under the supervision of the SGF.

Sources at the Senate say that the ad hoc committee would be inaugurated on Tuesday by Senate President Bukola Saraki.

“After the inauguration on Tuesday, the probe panel will immediately swing into action and most likely invite the SGF. He has to explain how such things happened under his supervision, “he said.

It was gathered that between January and April this year, the committee paid N1.260billion to 12 companies for contracts said to be bogus.
Daily Trust on Sunday gathered that out of the N10billion budgeted for the committee this year, about N7billion has been released.

The Presidential Committee on North-East was constituted to, among other things, assess, recommend and implement modalities for the return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their respective communities.

The allegation of the shoddy practices of the committee was first made public on Tuesday by Senator Baba Kaka Bashir Garbai (APC, Borno Central) on the floor of the Senate.

Garbai had, while presenting a motion on the humanitarian crisis in the North- East, said the contracts were awarded without recourse to due process.

“We are worried that rather than use the money appropriated to ameliorate the problems of the displaced persons in the North-East, the focus of the disbursement so far made has been to serve other interests,” he said.

Daily Trust on Sunday obtained a table of how the Presidential Committee disbursed about N1.3billion to contractors. The table shows the names of companies, the banks, account numbers, amount and the date the payments were made. A company known as VFS was paid N50million twice on the New Year day and during a public holiday. Another company, Josman Technologies Limited was paid N230million in two installments for the removal of invasive plant species in Yobe State.

The document showed that in a day, a company known as “Is Yours Investment Limited” was paid N185million in five installments.
On March 30, this year, the company was paid N50,299,270 and N37,754,900 twice for the supply of food and non-food items. It was also paid N9.3million same day and to one account from one bank.

The committee, according to the document, paid N117million and N108million to Lintex International and Dantex Nigeria Limited respectively, for the provision of temporary shelters.

It revealed that N80.7million and N97.6 million were paid to JMT Global Technologies Limited and Greenstone General Enterprise Limited respectively for the rehabilitation of police stations in Adamawa State. Another N258million was paid to Dantex Nigeria Limited for the supply of food and non-food items.

It was also gathered that so far, the committee has spent N763million on the provision of temporary shelters. Lintex, one of the companies that supplied the temporary shelters, according to a document seen by our correspondent, belongs to Alhaji Bashir Sanusi Dantata. Dantata, according to a lawmaker, is an in-law to Alhaji Mamman Daura.

Deputy leader of the Senate, Bala Ibn Na’Allah, said the temporary shelter they saw during their visit to the North-East could not go for N4million.

“Myself and Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu have been to the camp. What we saw there cannot go for N4million. This is a syndicated contract, “he said.

Also speaking, Senator Abubakar Kyari (APC, Borno North), said N763million was spent on the provision of temporary shelters that were not conducive for the area.

“The invasive plants were removed manually, yet they paid N230million for it. Farming has not taken place in my constituency for three years and they are using such amount to remove invasive plants, “Kyari said.