SGF Babachir Lawal

Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Lawal Babachir, has been summoned by the Senate to defend comments he allegedly made over constituency projects of the lawmakers.

The senators directed that the SGF should appear before its committees on Appropriation, Finance and Budget.

The invitation was sequel to a Point-of-Order raised by Deputy Chairman, Committee on Health, Sen. Matthew Urhoghide, at plenary on Tuesday.

Reading from Order 15 of the Senate Standing Rules, the lawmaker said his attention was drawn to a publication on a national daily, attributed to the SGF on non-implementation of constituency projects.

He said that the publication alleged that the SGF said that constituency projects may not be executed because Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) may not find it critical as part of their mandate.

“The end of the briefing said it is obvious that we will implement only those projects for which there is money.

“I want to say that in the budget as presented by President Muhammadu Buhari, intervention for the zones was about N60 billion.

“This means that it is less than one per cent and for the SGF to say that the projects will not be implemented to the letter, calls for worry.

“Immediately the budget was published I gave account of my one year here and enumerated the constituency projects I want to embark upon and my people were happy.

“For the SGF to say that, if he actually did, means that my people will be underdeveloped, but God forbid,’’ he said.

The lawmaker explained that the budget had become law having been passed by the national assembly, and endorsed by the president.

He pointed out that refusal to implement the budget was an impeachable offence as it was a violation of the law.

He urged the senate to summon the SGF within 48 hours to explain what he meant in the news briefing.

Supporting the motion, Deputy Minority Whip, Biodun Olujimi, said that for such comment to come from the highest administrative nominee of the government was worrisome.

She said that the SGF ought to guard his statements as a highly-placed nominee of government so as not to dent the image of the government.

“He called the confab of eminent Nigerians a `job for the boys’ and the next thing is to say the constituency project approved will not be properly implemented.

“He is not representing the government well.

“It is time for us to say that we will not allow our political nominees to take us for granted or deride us or deprive our constituents what belongs to them,’’ she said.

Supporting the point of order, the Deputy Leader of the Senate, Sen. Bala Na’Allah, said that the motion was timely in view of the importance of constituency projects to Nigerians.

However, he said any statement made by the SGF should not be attributed to the Federal Government.

He said that the SGF was neither the Finance Minister nor the Minister of Budget or spokesperson of the government.

“ What was alleged to be said by Babachir cannot be the position of the President. I urge my colleagues not to dignify information that comes from improper authority.

“I second but we should refuse to recognise comments coming from people who have no authority to speak on behalf of the government,’’ he said.

In his remarks, the President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, said that if there were advertisements on constituency projects, it was a welcomed development.

However, he insisted on the SGF appearing before the appropriate committees to explain his comments on non-implementation of constituency projects.

“If there is advert on constituency projects, that is good, but we need to hear from the SGF and Minister of Finance to explain the position of the constituency projects,’’ he said (NAN)