Report clears SGF in grass cutting scandal, calls Senate report "unfortunate lies"

dimeji akinloye

January 4, 2017 7:59 AM

CATBAN investigation reveals that Rheolavision Engineering, which was said to be the SGF's company, was not the main contractor that got the job.

The Citizens Action To Take Back Nigeria (CATBAN) has described the interim report by the Senate ad-hoc committee which indicted

The report accused Lawal of misappropriating funds and abusing the Public Procurement Acts in the contract awarded by the Presidential Initiative on North East (PINE).

Presenting the report of its independent investigations into the grass cutting scandal in Abuja on Tuesday, January 3, to the North-east region, CATBAN Co-convener, Ibrahim Garba Wala, said Lawal is innocent.

"CATBAN can assert with authority that the contract was indeed carried out. The claims that it was meant to clear grass in IDP camp or that nothing has been done are nothing but unfortunate lies," Wala said.

Citing the testimonies of people they met and the evidence before them, he said the contract was executed for the benefit of the people.

The report shows that the said grass cutting contract was originally tagged "Award of contract for removal of invasive plants along river channels and 115 hectares of simplified village irrigation operation in Your state."

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It also reveals that that Rheolavision Engineering, which was said to be the SGF's company, was not the main contractor that got the job.

"Rheolavision was engaged only as a consultant even though the Senate committee created the impression that the company of the SGF executed the contract," the report said.

It also shows that the SGF indeed resigned from Rheolavision Engineering and all the other companies he had shareholdings in through a letter of resignation to his lawyers, D. D Azura and co, on August 28, 2015.

dimeji akinloye