The House of Representatives is not yet done with the oil baron, Mr. Femi Otedola, the central figure in the $620,000 alleged bribe which has led to the suspension of Mallam Farouk Lawan as Chairman of the House Committee on Education and the Ad hoc Committee on fuel Subsidy Management.
The House described Otedola as “a sinking man” after the oil baron dismissed the decision of the Reps to restore Zenon Oil and Gas Limited and Synopsis Enterprises Limited, believed to be owned by him, in the list of oil importers indicted by the ad hoc committee as corruptly receiving oil subsidy. He had called the decision as laughable and a celebration of corruption.
He also said he suspected that Lawan could not have acted alone in allegedly extorting bribe from him.
Chairman of the House Committee on Media, Zakari Mohammed, responding to Otedola’s allegation, challenged him to name Lawan’s conspirators.
The House, he declared, acted within the rule of law by its decision and did not celebrate corruption as being alleged by Otedola.
He said: “As an institution, we won’t join words with Mr. Femi Otedola. His case is that of a sinking man. As far as we are concerned in this country, for every personality that claims to be straightforward, we know his or her background, antecedents, way of life and means of doing business.
“On his allegation that Mr. Farouk Lawan could not have acted alone, the House of Representatives is asking Otedola to name others. He who alleges must prove beyond reasonable doubt. We have made ourselves available as open as possible with what we did on Friday.”
He continued: “To say that we are celebrating corruption is mischievous and unfair. I think any patriotic and conscientious Nigerian should appreciate that what we did was a show of transparency and allowing the rule of law.
“We support anti-corruption campaign; we will not waiver in our commitment to this. We cannot be the investigator, the prosecutor and the judge at the same time. We decided to allow the law to take its course.”
He denied suggestion that the Reps were witch-hunting Otedola.
“Since the removal of Zenon Oil and Gas from the list of those having issues to answer became questionable, we felt there is need for a thorough investigation into the matter.
“The Ad Hoc Committee is re-examining allegations against those 17 companies who allegedly obtained foreign exchange without importing products. Otedola should go back to the committee instead of rushing to the press.
“Certainly, there is no question of witch-hunt at all. As an institution, we are above partisanship.”
On the mix-up of figures by the House on the actual amount credited to Zenon, Mohammed added: “Whatever complaint he has about figures, he should channel it to that committee rather than hastily running to the press.”
The House spokesman assured Nigerians that it would be more courageous in conducting its affairs to earn more dividends of democracy for the populace.
He said: “We will continue to be focused, we will avoid distraction. We have resolved to be more courageous on the Nigerian Project targeted at delivering more dividends to Nigerians who are our employers.”
Otedola had, in his reaction to the position of the House on him, said: “I have stated the facts in my interview with ThisDay newspaper and nothing but the facts. That Farouk Lawan demanded $3 million from me and because I refused to oblige him he included the name of Zenon amongst those who bought forex without importing petroleum products. He did this without even asking Zenon to produce a single document of the forex transaction. He clearly wanted to extort money for an offence I did not commit. That is why I went to report to the security agencies. If I had anything to hide I wouldn’t have gone to the agencies. There is an old adage that says “people who live in glass houses should not throw stones”.
“Moreover it is not possible to purchase $232, 975,385.13 from CBN without importing the product. The total figure is not even $232, 975,385.13 million as alleged but $372, 207, 990. They should go and amend the report to read $372, 207, 990 which is the correct figure. It is not possible to purchase this volume of forex from the CBN with first class banks such as Access bank, FCMB, GTB, UBA and an international bank BNP Paribas which is one of the biggest and most respected banks in the world.
“If people at my level who have worked hard to build their businesses can be blackmailed this way all in a bid to extort money from them, I pity people that are just starting out in business in this country. In all my business dealings I have always been above board and the records are there to prove. As far as I know Lawan could not have been working alone in this extortionist plot. A tree does not make a forest. Let me also state for the records that we are not in any way affiliated to the other company Synopsis enterprises Ltd also included in the report. Actions of today by the House is laughable, a mere celebration of corruption and a further indictment on their honourable member.” Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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Thiefs have one thing in common and that is inability to share stolen items without raising dusts. We are waiting to see your NYASH all you shameless criminals.
ReplyDeleteThere they go again.......asking for more names.....when they name names now all of them will be shaken........its a terribly coRrupt system filled with terribly corrupt ppl. Me thinks no one is innocent.
ReplyDeleteFor the spokesman to.describe femi otedola as a sinking man suggests rage toward the man on of your own a respected one at that has.been caught with his pants down one would have expected the house to put up.a brave face which was amicably don my the speaker already go back without making outlandish statements go back and do a proper investigation and come out with facts and figures...instead of making issues personally and if after that the companies are guilty then they are guilty but i don't see where guilty company will pay bribe and still go to the media and announce it
ReplyDeleteOtedola is a well respected Nigerian,We pray for Investors Not lawmakers that steal with their two hands.
ReplyDeleteWe nid a clean and competent house
ReplyDeleteOnly Prayers can help Nigeria, all most all of us are just waiting for opportunity to cheat steal to enrich ourself and making noise blaming others.
ReplyDeleteWe are so desperate to get riches outside Gods standard. I am serious look around, youth, elders, professionals, clergymen.....
Resources meant for all is being eaten up by few, some probed and case forgone but celebrated.
ReplyDeleteRefunds and recovery still gets stolen and no 1 is brought to book rather Dey walk freely.
Y steal Wt u can nt finish Kip for a bequest value when d masses alive are kept poor?
Dis country deserves Dat more than ave of d ppl shd b rich @ d moment if all resources have bin well managed and prioritized. We nid ppl of high integrity & qualification in constituting a house and crude penalties for attempts to looting public funds & efficient, prompt and competent judicial system.
Importation shd b @ it's nearest minimum and put effort to implement and dev local market.
We can b d best leaders and have a productive country.
Let's think positively n improve our standards rather than import junks.
May God help u all leader n we d followers
Succ wishes to d leadership of dis country Cas I knw " uneasy lies d head Dat wears d crown"
Why are we not honest with ourselves. These politians are reflection of us nigerian people, that is why there is not going to be any form of a mass protest or uprising. This is because we fully identify with the opportunity too loot on a subconcious level. We have the leaders that truly reflect us and we deserve it else we would have chased them out. The looting will never stop, we are who we are.
ReplyDeleteNigerians are very corrupt, otherwise how can one explain the fact that, there has not been a single demonstration because of this issue.
ReplyDeleteWe see it as an issue btw Lawan and Otedola....This is not.
In a sane country,we would have #occupied
What i can't comprehend is that if Otedola is as innocent as he claims to be he does not need to blackmail anyone to prove his innocence. All he has to do is to present supporting documents that will clear his company of this forex scandal. And i agree with you Otedola that ''people who live in glass houses should not throw stones”.
ReplyDeleteI doubt if any of them will be exhonerated but we will need more of such courageous big men to atleast put this country back on track, to expose most of this corrupt politicians who share the wealth of the country,state and local government under the guise of the law to enslave and impoverish the people.
ReplyDeleteOtedola is perfectly correct. The Dis(honourable) members are outraged by his audacity to espose one of theirs and in the process put the whole house to redicle. For afterall, when dis( honourable) Faruk moved that motion for the removal of Zenon oil from the list, they all choroused aye without a single dissent. Any new report by them will be false and meant for the trash bin!
ReplyDeleteThe statement credited to them that Otedola was a sinking man, smacks of unbridled bitterness and exposes their corrupt intent period!
This is a shameless country. is only God can help us.
ReplyDeleteIf Otedola is clean as he is claiming to be, why was his company indited and bribing to have his company exonerated from the list. Otedola, OBJ and Faruk are all the same, Nigerians should be careful of these corrupt people.
ReplyDeletethe same thing that happened to previous loots will happen to subsidy recovery if at all it can be recovered. i'm not surprised at all these but God is watching allm of you!
ReplyDeleteIf Otedola is clean as he is claiming to be, why was his company indited and bribing to have his company exonerated from the list. Otedola, OBJ and Faruk are all the same, Nigerians should be careful of these corrupt people.
ReplyDeleteWhat is that your name sef? Zakari Mohammed you are the biggest fool ever. Are you trying to say that Farouk acted alone? Are u not a PDP member? Every PDP member knows about the money. Make una give me my own share o... no be only una sabi chop.
ReplyDeleteNigerian news are begining 2 disgust me. the same thing repeating itself over & over? if only open punishment will be meted out 2 diz culprits,tins wil change 4 d better but as long as we kip dilly dallying abt wat 2 do 2 d offenders,am afraid,dis country wil kip going down d drain-STEADILY. God help us!
ReplyDelete