'I still have meetings with President Buhari' - Disgraced former SGF, Babachir Lawal

Babachir Lawal, the immediate past Secretary to the Government of the Federation says he is happy with the manner with which he is being investigated by the EFCC.

During a programme on Channels Television titled, ‘Hard Copy’ which was aired on Friday, the former SGF, who was sacked by President Muhammadu Buhari on October 30, 2017, after being probed by a committee headed by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, said he was confident that the EFCC would get to the truth.

Lawal, who was accused by the Senate of allegedly awarding one of his companies with a grass-cutting contract to the tune of N223m, said the EFCC, being a neutral entity, would uncover the truth.  

He said, “I like it (EFCC probe) because the EFCC has the capacity both in equipment and personnel to get to the truth and they are expected to be impartial. They are not politicians so they will get to the truth. The EFCC will find out whether my letters of resignation to the Corporate Affairs Commission through my lawyers is true. They will find out whether I was still a signatory to the accounts. They have the means to find out. Not like Shehu Sani who will say I was signing cheques when there is no truth in that.”  

The former SGF said despite his ordeal, he was still close to the President. He added that he and Buhari as leaders of the All Progressives Congress, still met on a regular basis.

In his words, “I still see the President, I have access to him. If there is anything to discuss, we do so. He is a politician, we are politicians. I joined politics to contribute to making Buhari the President and that was the reason I joined politics and this will not be an issue between us.”  

When asked whether he felt he had brought shame on the Presidency, he added, “No, because I believe it is a lie so why should I feel I let him down.”  He explained what he meant by the question, ‘who is the Presidency?’ when he was accosted by State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa shortly after his dismissal.  

Lawal said it was not in the character of Buhari to announce the sack of his appointees before informing them in person. He, therefore, said he was surprised to hear the Presidency had sacked him when he was in fact in charge of announcing appointments. Lawal, however, stated that he expected an explanation from Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo before his removal.  The ex-SGF added, “The Vice-President ought to have told me. I expected him to have told me.”