The Chairman of the Senate’s Ad-hoc Committee on Humanitarian crises in the North East, Shehu Sani, has said the suspension of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Babachir Lawal, will not stop its ongoing investigation of the Presidential Initiative on the North East.
“I believe we still have a job to do. There are 25 companies that we are investigating and because the SGF is suspended, it doesn’t mean we have come to the end of our investigation,” Sani said in an exclusive interview on Channels Television programme Politics Today.
“Certainly, when we are back to the plenary, we are going to continue our investigation.”
The Senate had, based on the recommendation of the Sani-led committee, in December 2016 called for the removal and prosecution of Lawal for corruption.
The failure of President Muhammadu Buhari to promptly act on the Senate’s call had led the Senator to criticise the President.
Sani, who represents Kaduna Central Senatorial District in the Senate, had accused the President of ignoring allegations of corruption against members of his cabinet.
Following the suspension of Lawal, he however said the President had revived the anti-corruption war and given Nigerians reasons to believe.
He said, “Now, it is very clear that the President has heed the call of Nigerians for him to do what he needs to do. He has done it and it is clear that he is now ready to fumigate the lice and the bedbugs within the throne of power.
“I believe we are making a headway now. People now will tend to believe when we say we are fighting corruption that it is not for people in the opposition or for people very far from the circle of power.”
Sani also said that while the Senate would continue its investigation separately as an independent arm of government, it would consider requests by the Presidency’s investigative committee led by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
