Tashikalmah Hallah & Francis Okeke
19 November 2008
A new group, Transparency Group campaigning for "a thorough, unfettered, unencumbered and independent" investigation into the alleged N2.3bn purchase of 380 cars yesterday emerged in the House of Representatives.
The Group, led by Rep Tam Brisbe (PDP, Delta) at its maiden news conference said the allegation of fraud in the purchase of the cars and office is weighty stressing that price movement explanation offered by PAN to the Ethics and Privileges Committee "is unacceptable and should be rejected".
However, Rep Labaran Danbatta (ANPP, Kano) Deputy Chairman Committee on Media and Publicity said the issues raised by the new group are "not new, unless they do not want to believe in the integrity of the House. The group ought to have concentrated on committee works rather than address the press, which they ought to have done even before they appeared before the Ethics and Privileges committee".
Other Members in the Transparency Group are Reps Gbenga Oduwaiye (PDP, Ogun), Kayode Amusan (PDP, Ogun), Festus Adegoke (PDP, Oyo) Folake Olunloyo Oshinowo (PDP, Oyo) Independence Ogunewe (PDP, Imo) and Samson Ahwinahwi (PDP, Delta).
All but two Members of the group (Brisbe and Oshinowo) had earlier testified before the Ethics and Privileges Committee investigating the alleged fraud. They denied meeting or contracting one Comrade Umar Farouk to facilitate campaign of calumny against the House leadership.
Brisbe, former Committee Chairman on Petroleum (Upstream) said they were not passing a vote of no confidence on the Ethics and Privileges Committee but stated that they were concerned by "some parties in the saga", whom he said "resorted to various antics aimed at running down their perceived and /or imaginary political enemies".
Notable among this method, he said, is " the printing, publishing and circulation of highly inciting, seditious and provocative materials; recruitment and use of faceless bodies, adoption of campaign of calumny and hiring of some political jobbers and professional blackmailers to smear, cajole, denigrate and bring to the public odium, the character, image and personality of some targeted Honourable Members".
The group also said that they want the investigative committee to verify whether the money used in the purchase of the vehicles and the office equipments are budgeted for, who approved the contract.
Five MPs in the Transparency group, Reps, Gbenga Oduwaiye, Independence Ogunewe, Festus Adegoke, Solomon Ahwinahwi and Kayode Amusan who appeared before the Ethics and Privileges Committee denied contracting a civil right activist, Umar Farouk for the purpose of destabilising the House.
"It is not my business to know whether there is anything untoward about the matter. I've not been mandated to investigate the purchase of cars" said Oduwaiye when he was asked by a Member of the Ethics and Privileges Committee whether in his opinion there was something untoward about the cars purchase.
Also, Ahwinahwi said that he had wanted to raise a matter of privileges on some leaflets accusing them of hatching plots to destabilise the House but was cautioned by another Member, Leo Ogor not to do so because the leaflets are circulated bears no name.
"I've nothing against it because the whole House took the decision", he said.
However, Rep Yakubu Dogara (PDP, Bauchi) said that the testimony of the MPs have established a pattern as all of them were at the public hearing when Festus Keyamo testified, and were also present when Gbenga Oduwaiye mounted the witness box.
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