Wednesday 13 June 2012

CALL OF SHAME : 'I took the bribe' - Farouk Lawan



When I read about the subsidy probe and the $600,000 Hon. Farouk Lawan allegedly received from Otedola of Zenon oil, I was not interested and looting money has become a national anthem amongst our presumed leaders. But what prompted me to act were comments of some comments made by some Nigerians. I am really perplexed by the way some Nigerians think.
Someone said “the truth of the matter is that our leaders are corrupt to the marrow. To hell with these self – imposed leaders of ours, May God bless our one and only GEJ for having the will to unveil the dreaded cartel that has held this country hostage since time immemorial”.
“May God bless our one and only GEJ for having the will”? What will is that if I may ask? Is it all about PDP or Nigeria? Let us not forget that GEJ, Otedola, SSS, Farouk Lawan are all in the PDP.
A subsidy probe committee was set up which was headed by Hon. Farouk Lawan to monitor the fuel subsidy removal by the Federal Government and since it has submitted its report, nothing concrete had been done about it. The subsidy probe committee had earlier sent a report to the executive but it wasn’t acted upon but now that there are allegations against the chairman of the committee that he received bribe, the report has lost its credibility.
Hon. Farouk Lawan had denied the allegation earlier that he received 600k from Otedola but according to THIS DAY newspaper, he revealed that he actually collected $500,000 and not $600,000 from Otedola, whom he accused of offering him the money to influence the probe panel’s report. He also said it was Otedola that initiated the bribe offer in order for him to remove Zenon’s name from the list of companies that collected foreign exchange from CBN without importing petroleum products.
Lawan said he had informed the chairman of the house committee on Narcotic drugs and financial crimes, Hon. Adams jagaba, through a letter dated April 24, 2012 of Otedola’s alleged persistence to bribe him to influence the outcome of the investigation. 
Femi Otedola, businessman and President, Zenon Oil & Gas •Farouk Lawan
Lawan also said he attached “the sum of 500,000 dollars only offered to me with another promise of 2million, five hundred thousand dollars” to the letter.
Lawan, in a statement in which he gave a detailed account of what transpired between him and Otedola, said “I had considered bringing this issue as a matter of privilege on the floor of the house latter today (April 24), but I am concerned that the controversy it will generate will dwarf the contents of the report, which needs public attention so that necessary reforms in the sector could be affected”.
Farouk Lawan
“I gave the desperation of Mr. Otedola, handling this matter, in a firm but diplomatic manner is necessary as he has also made some veiled threats which put me and members of the committee in a delicate situation”.
“Veiled threats which put me and members of the committee in a delicate situation”? What threats? What delicate situation? Let us call a spade a spade, both of them are guilty (the person that gave and the one that received the bribe).
Nigeria is not PDP and PDP is not Nigeria. Nigerians should open their eyes to clearly see what is happening here. Let us alight from the “one chance” bus that the PDP has put us into.
I agree that Farouk Lawan should be prosecuted but others should too. We have so many cases that have been swept under the carpet. These things happens every day in government circles and nobody blows it open because they all benefit one way or the other.
As I said earlier, let us not forget the fact that GEJ, Otedola, Farouk Lawan, EFCC, SSS are all PDP. It is a planned work and he (Farouk Lawan) foolishly fell for it.
Femi Otedola

All these people in government do the same thing but you only get exposed if you are not in the good books of those that matters. A country where majority live below poverty level and Otedola has $3million to bribe some body. May the end be the best for the just and honest ones.
There was a confirmed case of #155 billion fraud against the government office including GEJ. What did they do about it?
Now that it is obvious that everything in Nigeria is corrupt, what would ordinary Nigerians do? Who are we going to cry to for help? EFCC, SSS, Senate, who?
God knows!