Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Lawal Babachir, has declined invitation by the Nigeria Senate over the appropriation of funds for the Northeast rehabilitation project.
The Senate had earlier, on March 15, sent an invitation to Mr. Babachir, requesting him to appear before an ad hoc Committee on Humanitarian Crisis in the Northeast on March 23 to give account of the (mis)appropriation of funds.
The Senate had earlier indicted the SGF on the issue, but a reaction by the presidency that he (Babachir) was not given a fair hearing necessitated a formal invitation by the Senate.
Senate President Bukola Saraki, had on January 24, 2017, read a letter from President Muhammadu Buhari, which stated that the SGF was not treated fairly at the first hearing.
The Senate, in its letter to the SGF, stated that the ad hoc committee deemed it fit to have a second hearing due to the complaint that he was not treated with fairness on the first occasion.
The SGF, in a letter to Senator Shehu Sani, Chairman of the ad hoc committee overseeing the hearing, however, said that he was challenging the invitation at the court.
The letter, which bore the signature of the SGF, reads:
“Your letter of invitation to appear before the above committee refers.
“I wish to kindly request that you draw the attention of the other members of the committee that I will not be able to appear before the committee primarily because I have gone to court to challenge the invitation among others.
“Please find attached the court documents.”