Daily Independent (Lagos)
Otei Oham And Festus Owete
15 November 2008
Abuja — The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Friday disclosed that the cheques used for the purchase of 308 cars from Peugeot Automobile Nigeria (PAN) for members of the House of Representatives belonged to it.
In his testimony, Deputy Director, Banking Services, Okafor Romanus gave the number of the cheques as 00001770 for N700 million, 00001805 for N230 million and 00001832 for N585.6 million. The disclosure counters claims by Lagos lawyer, Festus Keyamo that the house used the cheques of Zenith Bank to pay for the cars.
Meanwhile, two of the five members of the House who were cited in an alleged plot to oust Dimeji Bankole as Speaker over his alleged involvement in the N2.3 billion car purchase scandal have threatened to drag the self-acclaimed human rights activist, Umar Farouk, to court for linking them to the plot. The two lawmakers are Gbenga Oduwaiye (PDP, Ogun) and Festus Adegoke (PDP, Oyo).
Farouk, during his appearance on Thursday before the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges investigating the purchase, listed Oduwaiye, Adegoke and three other members of the House as architects of a scheme to unseat Bankole.
He said they commissioned him with N1 million to do the job by organizing press conferences and circulation of anti-Bankole leaflets in and outside Abuja.
The other members mentioned are Independence Ogunewe (PDP, Imo), Kayode Amusan (PDP, Ogun) and Solomon Awhinawhin (PDP, Delta).
In a briefing in Abuja on Friday, Oduwaiye denied knowing Farouk, and regretted that a person unknown to him could smear his name.
"I have the copy with me here on a petition before the Ethics Committee by a certain person named Umar Farouk. I am very happy that this has finally happened because it will now be an opportunity to now engage somebody and found out what the truth is.
"Immediately I got this, I have instructed my lawyers to institute legal proceeding against this gentleman, but I think it is important to make one or two comments on the matter.
"First, as a speak to you I do not know whether Umar is a man or a woman, whether he is short or tall, I do not know anybody and I swear by the Quran and Bible and anything you can swear with. I cannot point him out if he is in this room, as I speak with you I do not know him whether he is comrade or not.
"Let me also make it categorically clear that I have not had any meeting with such name, I have not had any meeting in the office of the Hon. Independence Ogunewe.
"I have never been to Ogunewe's house; I have never been to Chida Hotel. The last time I was in Protea Hotel was almost a year ago when I went to see one of the traditional rulers from my state. So I do not know where this gentleman brought this story from. However, my solicitors felt disappointed, and I want to throw a challenge to the Comrade Umar, that at no time did he say categorically that I Gbenga Oduwaiye had any meeting with him.
In his defence, Adegoke in a statement denied involvement in the design to unseat Bankole. He said his sack as Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation is not enough to put him on a collision course with the Speaker, saying he was prepared to seek justice in the law court.
"It is true that the Speaker unceremoniously removed me as Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation.
"I stated my objections then to the manner in which my removal was carried out but I have since rested my case. I have also assured the Speaker of my confidence and I do not think that anyone will continue to rake up the dust as a reason to justify any upheaval in the House.
"I totally reject attempts to continue to drag my name into any perceived or real disagreements in the House as I have since assured my constituency of my desire to serve them to the best of my ability, whether I am made committee chairman or not.
"Consequently, I demand a publicised retraction of his offensive claims as it affects my person. Otherwise I will be forced to take legal action to clear my name of this obvious attempt to smear me," he said.
Read comments. Write your own.
Copyright © 2008 Daily Independent. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
We demand that the full amount amount of 2.3 Billion Naira be returned back to the federal coffers so the amount could be put to proper use in rehabilitating our primary schools and health clinics. Nigerians do not approve NASS to use any govt fund to provide luxury items for themselves while our primary school children are carrying their desks and chairs to and from schools every school days while the poor are dying needlessly on the street for curable ailments.