THE SENATE CALL FOR THE SACK AND PROSECUTION OF THE SECRETARY

TO THE GOVERNMENT OF THE FEDERATION; A VENDETTA AND

VINDICTIVE CAUSE.

The Ad-hoc Committee on Humanitarian Crisis in the North East was set up by the Senate
President in October, 2016 to investigate the use of the funds allocated to the humanitarian
crisis in the region. Being a committee that ideally represents the over 15 Million people
generally affected by the insurgency, it is important that it is desirous in its fact-finding
mission and ensure that the North East that has been ravaged by the crisis, is adequately
rehabilitated, the people well-adjusted and reintegrated into their society. This responsibility
demands that the committee should not allow their good intentions be marred by political
muddling in the interest of Nigeria.

As concerned youths we feel the need to utterly condemn the stand of the Senate that the
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Lawal Babachir should be sacked and
prosecuted just barely two months into the committees inauguration. It is our strong opinion
that this attack is politically motivated and unbecoming of the Senate which is supposed to
serve as the guiding light for the common man, and the symbol of true democracy.

The government of President Muahmmadu Buhari has achieved laudable strides in restoring
and sustaining relative peace in the once very troubled North East region. In addition to the
successful and effective military action carried out by the armed forces that dislodged Boko
Haram from town settlements, the presidency has deemed it fit to enact soft strategies of
rehabilitating and reintegrating the Internally Displaced and Refugees created by the years of
insurgence in the Northeast; thus the formation of the Presidential Initiatives on the North
East (PINE). PINE was placed among several other functions, under the supervision of the
office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF). Classrooms, Healthcare
centres and IDP camps were built and reconstructed respectively within the short time frame
of inaugurating the body. Invasive plant species covering about 115 kilometers and spanning
across two states, were removed through manual labour which provided employment to the
Internally Displaced and also opened waterways for irrigation farming in the Northeast that
have been clogged by the plants for over 3 decades.

However, the interim report of the Ad-hoc Senate Committee Mounting on Humanitarian
Crisis in the North East, said that areas especially healthcare, food provision and education
are in dire need of attention. Admittedly, near a decade of hostility has taken its toll on the
region therefore more need to be done to bring relative normalcy to the 4.5 Million families
in desperate need of assistance. It is therefore appalling that a committee set up in October,
has within few seatings, gone ahead to unjustly indict one of this administrations principal
officers and demanded for his resignation and prosecution. It is worrisome that a report that is
termed interim is already making a grave conclusion. The conclusion to sack Mr. Lawal
David Babachir is based on a consultancy role a company played in one among many
projects carried out by PINE.

We are in total support of the fight against corruption prioritised by this government, and we
identify with the successes and recoveries made so far; which this by far has outdone other
governments that preceded it. However, the government has always tried to trade on fairness
especially since there are agitators hoping to call the anti-graft war, a witch hunt in
corruptions ploy to fight back. In this light, we humbly wonder why the Senate while
promptly demanding for sacking and prosecution after viewing an inconclusive report would
only choose to be fair to its leadership that remains at the helm of affairs despite facing
different cases in tribunals and courts.

We are apprehensive that within a month of flipping into a few documents they are directly
indicting someone who is even yet to have a level playing field to tender his side of the story.
We would like to challenge the legal and moral grounds the committee has to recommend
outright sacking and subsequent prosecution of a principal officer when fair hearing have not
been given to the individual. This is only callous and a contradiction to what a democratic
institution like the Senate stands for.

Try as we may not to include polity into our agitation, we feel the need to bring some things
to bear that may be instigating the lopsided approach of this committee. The committee is led
and supported by disgruntled senators who have not found personal favour within the ruling
party.

Such Speedy conclusions reached by the Senate give room for speculations that the President
is being punished for refusing to interfere in all party and corruption related cases even if it
meant favouring a few. Abba Kyari who is the Presidents Chief Staff was among the first
victims, then the SGF, and now one of the henchmen of the anti-graft war has not been
confirmed by the senate. These are political ploys by benefactors of corruption to isolate the
president in this anti-graft war by eliminating his closest and principal officers so that they
may get respite.
As youths, we hope to inherit Nigerias democracy in a clean bill of health and not powers
brandished by those given, just for their selfish interests, and what scares us about the future
is that they sometimes guise it in the name of national interest. PINE projects have so far
been commendable and the promises made by the government to Nigerians can fully come to
fruition if the presidency and other departments of the government are not trivially dragged
and distracted by baseless submissions. There is no gainsaying that distractions by any agent
or body, is doing a disservice to the people of the Northeast and by extension, the rest of
Nigeria.

Consequently, we call on the Senate to do the needful and focus on the real issues that they
have to address in the interest of the moment and future of Nigeria, and not engage in
vendetta.

God bless Nigeria!!!

________________________
Comr. Abdulrahman Ahmed Andoma,
National Coordinator,
Coalition of Nigerian Youths in Defence of Democracy (CONYDD)