Babachir Lawal Blames Osinbajo For His Sack From Office
The nation’s
scribe was sacked for alleged contract scam linked to a company belonging to
him.
Lawal, in a
statement posted on his verified social media handle, described the alleged
indictment for corruption as false.
Former SGF
explained that the late former president Muhammadu Buhari, was pressurized to
relieved him of his job without any evidence to prove he committed the crime.
According to
him, Osinbajo recommended his dismissal from office despite the ongoing
investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
“The
progression of this case was that the Senate submitted an interim report to the
President urging him to sack me but which the president dismissed on the advice
of the Attorney General as lacking in substance and fair hearing. But the
matter would not die because the then Vice President for reasons best known to
him decided to pursue the matter with the president incessantly pestering him
until the president gave in and permitted him and two others to investigate the
matter. It was this report that without a shred of evidence recommended my
removal.”
“This matter
was eventually handed over to the EFCC for proper investigation and
prosecution. I insisted on this because it was now clear to me that only the
courts can clear me.
“During the
trial, EFCC called 14 witnesses. Interestingly all of them testified to my
innocence as if they were my own witnesses. Not one of them implicated me
either in the contract award process or its execution. In the end I was
discharged and acquitted along with the other accused on a “no-case submission”
by our Lawyers.
“The
president allowed me read the VP’s report and the conclusion, which to
paraphrase the report said “the SGF did not commit any criminal offense but a
company he once owned executed a contract in an agency under him thus abusing
his oath of office”. The contract was for consultancy services at the cost of
N7.2m which was won by my former company Rholavision Engineering Limited after
a competitive bidding process of which I wasn’t even aware.
“The main
contract was won by Josmon Technologies Limited a company whose owners I never
met in my life until we met in the court. I later found out that the contract
had two phases with a total value of about 540 million naira. Both the main
contract and the consultancy services were fully executed and payments effected
only after the Auditor-General’s Office and the Internal Auditors had certified
that the contracts were fully executed according to specifications.
Lawal,
however, insisted that no public fund was stolen under his watch as being
speculated in some quartres.
“So no money
was lost by the government, no bribe was given and no money was laundered. 7.2
million Naira; that is it. In these days when billions of dollars get taken out
of government coffers in a single deal, is it not a wonder that an SGF would
lose his position and scandalized over a pittance 7.2m Naira and someone is
celebrating it?”