You’re a sinking man, House blasts Otedola

Mr. Femi Otedola

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.”