₦airaland Forum

The disgraced Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, has narrated how he made over N500million within a space of two months.

Mr Lawal was expelled from office over his involvement in diverting funds meant for people displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency in October 30, 2017.

The Presidential Initiative for the North East (PINE) headed by him became a centre of corruption and rot with companies raking in, through fraudulent procurement process, billions of naira and paying kickbacks to the embattled cabinet secretary, according to bank documents and a report of the Senate Committee on the Mounting Humanitarian Crisis in the North-east.

Since he was last picked up and released by the Economic and Financial Crimes (EFCC) earlier this year nothing has been heard about when his trial will begin.

Addressing newsmen on Monday, Lawal having been earning N930, 000 monthly while in government narrated how he made over half a billion Naira in two months after leaving office. He said his removal from office later became a blessing in disguise.

“Let me shock you, before I came into government, I have been in business, I was a very successful businessman,” the news agency of Nigeria (NAN) quotes him as saying.

“I am a world renowned IT consultant and I have a very large farm, spanning over 1,000 hectares, which I abandoned to join governance.

“I was earning N930, 000 monthly as the SGF, now that I have returned to my farm and reactivated it after my sack, I now have 4,000 hectares under cultivation.

“Last year, I earned close to half a billion naira from my farm proceeds, I have a cattle ranch that I am developing gradually and I am back to IT consultancy, life is now good,” he added.

Lawal also reeled out reasons why Nigerians should re-elect his former principal, President Muhammadu Buhari.

Last year, I earned close to half a billion naira from my farm proceeds, I have a cattle ranch that I am developing gradually and I am back to IT consultancy, life is now good,” he added.

aolawale025:
How much tax has he paid. Over to FIRS

He had earlier been indicted by the Senate which called for his removal and prosecution, a call initially ignored by Mr Buhari.

On January 24, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), ostensibly on the orders of the president arrested the former official.

He was however subsequently let off and not much has been heard about his since despite calls for his prosecution by Nigerians.