Allegations have emerged that Farouk Lawan, chairman House of Representatives ad-hoc committee on the subsidy probe solicited and indeed took bribes from Femi Otedola of Zenon Oil. Chief Otedola has granted an interview to Thisday revealing how he paid sums in dollars amounting to $600,000 as part payment to Farouk Lawan to keep Zenon Oil out of the report a few days before the report was released. According to the Zenon chairman, Farouk Lawan had put him under immense pressure to pay $3m as other marketers were doing and that had prompted him to involve the EFCC and SSS in a sting operation. Mr. Otedola insists he had the whole episode videotaped and that his call log has also been forwarded to the anti-corruption agency the EFCC.
Farouk Lawan on his own part has come out to deny the allegations, describing them as mudslinging. He equally cited on his committee’s raised alarm in the past urging the public to be aware of the pressure it was receiving from marketers to influence the report. He equally went ahead to defend his report which he said was thoroughly conducted and in an in-depth manner.
January 1, 2012, the federal government through the Petroleum Products Prices Regulations Agency (PPPRA) had announced a price change on Premium Motor Spirit from N65 to N141 resulting in mass protests and a near nationwide strike action. The FG had insisted there was need to withdraw subsidy and let market forces determine the price of the products while Nigerians on the other hand argued that there was corruption in the subsidy regime which had seen an exhaustion of the budget approved sum and indeed a spending resulting in trillions of Naira in the name of subsidy. It was all fishy to the people but not to the government. Farouk Lawan and his committee stepped in to investigate the whole situation and came up with its report which amongst other things indicted several oil marketers, alleged malfeasance and complicity. The report was widely received by the people as thoroughly conducted and described as a justification of the protests. Everyone who was opposed to the subsidy withdrawal wanted immediate justice but cold feet and nonchalance greeted the reports.
With the allegation of bribery and denial today, the nation’s mood has been dampened. It appears we have all been taken on a ghost ride to nowhere. Several questions have begun to spring up out of the hitherto marble floor of inaction. Why did it take this long for the allegations of bribery to emerge? How does a man whose insistence on his innocence suddenly agree to part with $600,000 albeit as part of his alleged sting operation? How come someone, who received the money went ahead to include his name as an offender in the subsidy regime? Why was Farouk Lawan not arrested when he received the allegedly marked bills? These are all but immediate questions and not the ones that will emerge when greater analysis has been put into the unfolding script.
One thing is certain, there is even more corruption than we anticipated. This might all be an attempt to derail the public from the issues raised in the report. But then again, does the report still carry its sanctity in the light of these allegations? Has the exorcist become a victim of his exorcism? The public deserves justice for what we are talking about here is Nigerian money that has been used without their consent. While the government took oath to protect the security and welfare of the people slowed to implement the recommendations of the report, this allegation comes out to discredit the report leaving the populace to merry in despair. Where will justice be found?
We are yet to see the purported video where a citizen of no small means allegedly gave the said bribe to Hon. Lawan. We believe the report has lost in essence some of its sanctity should the allegations be true. But then, are the allegations true? Even if it was true that Hon. Lawan solicited bribe to exclude the Zenon Oil from culpability and yet went ahead to list Zenon as being part of the regime. It does not take a Daniel to realise that there is an obvious attempt to prove by way of accusation of bribery that Hon. Farouk Lawan is honourable in name only and that his report should be archived in the annals of the dust bin. Hon. Lawan and his committee must now prove with evidence that its report is worthy of the acclaim it received to shame the enemies of the people who are obviously desperate to make Nigerians pay more for fuel.
Yes, that is what this is about. Some people want Nigerians to pay more than they can for fuel. Who will gain more with this allegation? Who should have a motive to discredit the report? The report has been brought to a jury with these allegations. But the jury cannot make up its mind until all evidence has been considered and all witnesses heard. Will the evidence be made available? Will witnesses speak the truth and nothing but or will they be bought to speak lies and nothing but? Nigerians have suffered more than they can in the name of subsidy withdrawal. Rising inflation, dwindling profit columns, increasing poverty occasioned by a weaker purchasing power all as a result of this policy and yet someone wants desperately to make it worse. Who is that person or who are they?
The video should be made public. It should not be left for a guild of co-conspirators only. After all it is Nigerians who bear the brunt and not these men who we pay for fuel on their behalf. Hon. Lawan must realise that lawmen will not be spared despite working hard only to fall short on matters of graft, therefore, he must out with all of the truth and bear the consequences. This is not a time to look for allies and be stingy with the truth. This is not a time to further delay action. Hon. Farouk must swing into action and either prove with evidence that Otedola’s claims are spurious or that he did good job but compromised on matter of greed. This is Farouk’s burden or perhaps the burden of the EFCC. That body can be swayed however to the will of the powers that be and so have lost its objectivity. Should Farouk emerge the lawman that busted a burglary yet took meat from the soup pot of the victim, he should get the deserved flogging yet that should not deride his job. Such is the ordeal before Hon. Farouk Lawan. To tell us with evidence that Otedola is a liar or that he did a good job but failed on a matter of greed. Hon. Lawan can also go ahead and prove to us that he did a good job and kept his integrity in check all through to the shame of his new found detractor. This is Hon. Lawan's burden of proof. It is Hon. Lawan's because, we know without even considering it that the FG will be eager to believe Otedola for obvious reasons.
The rest of us must keep vigilant for that is the sacred duty we owe our nation until we rid it of desperate elements that are determined to subject us to poverty while guaranteeing their children a right to happiness at our expense. If we do not know the truth, then we cannot know wrong. If we cannot find the truth, what then is our hope for justice? This is
January 1, 2012, the federal government through the Petroleum Products Prices Regulations Agency (PPPRA) had announced a price change on Premium Motor Spirit from N65 to N141 resulting in mass protests and a near nationwide strike action. The FG had insisted there was need to withdraw subsidy and let market forces determine the price of the products while Nigerians on the other hand argued that there was corruption in the subsidy regime which had seen an exhaustion of the budget approved sum and indeed a spending resulting in trillions of Naira in the name of subsidy. It was all fishy to the people but not to the government. Farouk Lawan and his committee stepped in to investigate the whole situation and came up with its report which amongst other things indicted several oil marketers, alleged malfeasance and complicity. The report was widely received by the people as thoroughly conducted and described as a justification of the protests. Everyone who was opposed to the subsidy withdrawal wanted immediate justice but cold feet and nonchalance greeted the reports.
With the allegation of bribery and denial today, the nation’s mood has been dampened. It appears we have all been taken on a ghost ride to nowhere. Several questions have begun to spring up out of the hitherto marble floor of inaction. Why did it take this long for the allegations of bribery to emerge? How does a man whose insistence on his innocence suddenly agree to part with $600,000 albeit as part of his alleged sting operation? How come someone, who received the money went ahead to include his name as an offender in the subsidy regime? Why was Farouk Lawan not arrested when he received the allegedly marked bills? These are all but immediate questions and not the ones that will emerge when greater analysis has been put into the unfolding script.
One thing is certain, there is even more corruption than we anticipated. This might all be an attempt to derail the public from the issues raised in the report. But then again, does the report still carry its sanctity in the light of these allegations? Has the exorcist become a victim of his exorcism? The public deserves justice for what we are talking about here is Nigerian money that has been used without their consent. While the government took oath to protect the security and welfare of the people slowed to implement the recommendations of the report, this allegation comes out to discredit the report leaving the populace to merry in despair. Where will justice be found?
We are yet to see the purported video where a citizen of no small means allegedly gave the said bribe to Hon. Lawan. We believe the report has lost in essence some of its sanctity should the allegations be true. But then, are the allegations true? Even if it was true that Hon. Lawan solicited bribe to exclude the Zenon Oil from culpability and yet went ahead to list Zenon as being part of the regime. It does not take a Daniel to realise that there is an obvious attempt to prove by way of accusation of bribery that Hon. Farouk Lawan is honourable in name only and that his report should be archived in the annals of the dust bin. Hon. Lawan and his committee must now prove with evidence that its report is worthy of the acclaim it received to shame the enemies of the people who are obviously desperate to make Nigerians pay more for fuel.
Yes, that is what this is about. Some people want Nigerians to pay more than they can for fuel. Who will gain more with this allegation? Who should have a motive to discredit the report? The report has been brought to a jury with these allegations. But the jury cannot make up its mind until all evidence has been considered and all witnesses heard. Will the evidence be made available? Will witnesses speak the truth and nothing but or will they be bought to speak lies and nothing but? Nigerians have suffered more than they can in the name of subsidy withdrawal. Rising inflation, dwindling profit columns, increasing poverty occasioned by a weaker purchasing power all as a result of this policy and yet someone wants desperately to make it worse. Who is that person or who are they?
The video should be made public. It should not be left for a guild of co-conspirators only. After all it is Nigerians who bear the brunt and not these men who we pay for fuel on their behalf. Hon. Lawan must realise that lawmen will not be spared despite working hard only to fall short on matters of graft, therefore, he must out with all of the truth and bear the consequences. This is not a time to look for allies and be stingy with the truth. This is not a time to further delay action. Hon. Farouk must swing into action and either prove with evidence that Otedola’s claims are spurious or that he did good job but compromised on matter of greed. This is Farouk’s burden or perhaps the burden of the EFCC. That body can be swayed however to the will of the powers that be and so have lost its objectivity. Should Farouk emerge the lawman that busted a burglary yet took meat from the soup pot of the victim, he should get the deserved flogging yet that should not deride his job. Such is the ordeal before Hon. Farouk Lawan. To tell us with evidence that Otedola is a liar or that he did a good job but failed on a matter of greed. Hon. Lawan can also go ahead and prove to us that he did a good job and kept his integrity in check all through to the shame of his new found detractor. This is Hon. Lawan's burden of proof. It is Hon. Lawan's because, we know without even considering it that the FG will be eager to believe Otedola for obvious reasons.
The rest of us must keep vigilant for that is the sacred duty we owe our nation until we rid it of desperate elements that are determined to subject us to poverty while guaranteeing their children a right to happiness at our expense. If we do not know the truth, then we cannot know wrong. If we cannot find the truth, what then is our hope for justice? This is
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