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Senate bribery scandal: Prominent senators fingered By Sanya Adejokun
and Abdul Jelil
Daily Independent, Abuja
Contrary to denials by National Assembly officials, prominent senators are being mentioned in connection with the controversial bribery allegations made recently by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, against some senators.
Sources at the National Assembly said el-Rufai’s allegations may not be out of place as many other nominees have similar tales to tell, although specific role each senator played was not disclosed.
El-Rufai had two weeks ago alleged that some senators approached him for bribe before he could be cleared as President Olusegun Obasanjo’s nominee as a minister.
Daily Independent’s investigations revealed that some powerful senators operating as a syndicate might have threatened many of the ministerial nominees to either play ball or have their names rejected from the list.
Defeated All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) Chairmanship candidate, Senator Saidu Dansandau and Osariemen Osunbor of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are two voices calling for a probe into the allegation.
Osunbor said the allegation would remain unsubstantiated until el-Rufai came out with the names of the senators.
Former Education Minister, Prof. Balalola Borisade was alleged to have paid some amount which was considered paltry by the clique and so, was not cleared for ministerial appointment by the Senate.
A particular female nominee equally refused to pay the N50 million demanded from her but her sponsor was said to have paid on her behalf.
Another former minister from the North East was also alleged to have been compelled to pay the money.
Senator Liyel Imoke allegedly bluntly refused to pay, but instead, reported the clique to the Akwa Ibom/ Cross Rivers National Assembly caucus.
The caucus leader, Senator Udo Udoma, was said to have been greatly angered by the revelation and raised the issue with the Senate President.
Sources close to the Senate maintained that although Senate President Adolphus Wabara was aware of the developments and was against the clique, he was, however, helpless because of the calibre of senators involved. ____________________________________________
Lets not kid ourselves, we all know that with a corrupt administration of obasanjo this like this happens. Obasanjo takes bribes from these nominees so senators want their own action so they demand for bribe from the ministers to be. This is Biafranigeria in action for you under OO.
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I am beginning to worry about all these speculative news articles!
To Sanya Adejokun and Abdul Jelil I wish to ask: WHO ARE THE PEOPLE FINGERED in that senate bribery scandal? Do you know? If you know, DON'T you think you should write it down OR don't WE DESERVE to know?
If you DO NOT KNOW, of what purpose is all this?
WHO is the female nominee that failed to pay a 50 million naira bribe and WHO is the sponsor that you speak of who paid it for her? WHO is the former senator from the NorthEast compelled to pay a bribe?
These legislooters need to be exposed, I agree, but that article seems to show that either you two are not sufficiently informed on what you set out to bring to our notice or there could be bureaucratic stumblingblocks preventing you from reporting this matter adequately.
If on the other the reason for the ominous failure to factually present in detail the circumstances surrounding the bribery scandal happens to be that your source had carefully hidden the truth or that circumstances are as of yet DEVELOPING, why the rush to disseminate this?
It isn't as if there is a dearth of mind-boggling, stupefying NEGATIVE news out there. With this kind of confused, shaky reporting of the gross misconduct on the part of our legislooters, it wouldn't be long before this is swept under the rug and all reverts back to business as usual. The regrettable thing however would be that you two journalists would have unwittingly direly abused your roles as societal watchdogs!
Abeg no kill me oh! I did not see this thread when I opened the other one. I have asked the Admin to close my thread. Let's continue the discussion here.
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