Video: How Farouk Lawan asked House of Reps to remove Otedola’s companies from probe report
- Details
- Category: GENERAL
- Published on Friday, 15 June 2012 14:04
- Written by Elombah.com
The video above published by Channels TV shows how the Chairman, House of Representatives’ Ad Hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy probe, Farouk Lawan, while presenting the 210-paged Fuel Subsidy report to a plenary session of the House of
Representatives, on the 21st of April 2012, moved a motion of recommedation that two companies should be removed from the list of companies indicted by the committee for receiving forex from the Central Bank of Nigeria but failed to bring in the fuel. {video}
The companies, Synopsis Enterprises Limited and Zenon Petroluem and Gas Limited were removed from the list via a unanimous decision of the House.
According to the initial report, Zenon oil and gas bought $232,975,385.13 worth of forex, but did not import petrol. while Synopsis Enterprises collected $51, 449, 977.47 for the year 2010 and refused to import any oil.
Both companies belong to billionaire and oil mogul, Femi Otedola.
The report had recommended that Mr Otedola’s company and 14 other marketers that had bought the foreign exchange be referred to the anti-corruption agencies for prosecution and to refund the monies.
Thus when Lawan moved that Otedola's company, Zenon be removed from the list of oil marketers that bought foreign exchange from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) but failed to use the money to import fuel, a startled deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha, who was presiding over the plenary asked the chairman of the probe committee; “Honorable farouk, is this recommendation coming from your committee?”
And Mr Lawan answered in the affirmative.
However, Mr. Otedola on the 11th of June, in an interview with a national newspaper alleged that Mr Lawan had demanded a $3million bribe from him, days to his (Lawan) presentation of the report, so that his two companies will be removed from the list of indicted companies.
Mr Otedola in a sting operation, allegedly coordinated by the State Security Service (SSS), gave the lawmaker, the sum of $620,000 in part-payment for the bribe.
According to the oil merchant, Mr Lawan had already collected $500, 000 in two instalments from him while the Secretary of the ad hoc committee, Boniface Emenalo also collected $120, 000 in two instalments.
Mr Otedola claimed that he had video and audio evidences to support his claims that both the lawmaker and the staff of the National Assembly demanded and took bribe from him.
Mr Lawan in a swift reaction on Sunday, denied accepting any bribe from the oil mogul.
He however revealed the following day, that he accepted the money in ‘another’ sting operation involving the police authority.
The House of Representatives, which has been on a one week recess on Wednesday, called short the break for an emergency plenary session, to hold on Friday (15th June 2012).
At today's plenary, the House suspended the Chairman of it’s ad hoc committee that probed the fuel subsidy and the Chairman of the Committee of Education, Farouk Lawan, over the alleged $3million bribe from billionaire oil magnate Femi Otedola.
The lawmakers also passed a motion to rescind its decision to remove Mr Otedola’s companies –Synopsis and Zenon from the list of companies indicted by the subsidy probe report.
The House of Representatives in its Friday’s emergency session asked the committee on Ethics and Privileges to investigate the veracity of the bribery allegations against Mr Lawan.
The House also passed a vote of confidence on the Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal and the leadership of the House of Representatives based on a motion moved by Samson Osagie.
Mr Osagie warned against a dangerous trend whereby the executive arm of government will be using security agencies to intimidate elected members of the legislature in order to protect powerful people.
He said the recording of the alleged receipt of the bribe by security agencies was reminiscent of the Watergate scandal under former United States President, Richard Nixon.
He however said that even when a member of the House of Representatives is indicted of corruption, the House is not indicted.
The House also directed its committees on anti-graft agencies to ensure the implementation of the recommendations in the report by the relevant agencies.
In a short speech, the Speaker of the House of Representatives urged Nigerians to continue to support the House and vowed that it would not allow the bribery scandal overshadow the fuel subsidy probe report.
“”We shall never compromise our stand against corruption. May I also ask the executive to match words with action in the implementation of this report.
“As members of the parliament, we enjoy no immunity and seek none,” he said.
After the Speaker’s speech, the House dissolved into a Committee of the Whole chaired by deputy speaker, Emeka Ihedioha, and considered the motion for Synopsis and Zenon to be asked to account for the subsidy funds received by them.
After considering the report, it reverted to plenary and adopted the report.
Mr Ihedioha said the implication of the resolution is that the House has asked the anti-graft agencies to investigate Synopsis and Zenon for collecting the said subsidy funds and failing to utilise them as required.
A new chairman, John Enoh (PDP, Obubra, Cross River) was appointed to replace Mr Lawan as the new Chairman of the fuel subsidy probe panel.
Elombah.com, With additional report from Channel's TV
