Davidson Iriekpen
18 November 2008
Lagos — Since Lagos-based lawyer, Mr. Festus Keyamo, challenged the leadership of the House of Representatives under Hon. Demeji Bankole to explain its role in the approval given for the purchase of 380 Peugeot 407 cars for the oversight functions of the House committees, the House has not known peace.
Keyamo in a letter dated October 19, 2008 and titled, "Open Request for Explanation Regarding Allegations of Fraud in the House," had accused the House of purchasing 407 Comfort Automatic cars at the sum of N2.359 billion, but not the model quoted by Peugeot Automobile Nigeria (PAN) in the transaction. He claimed that 407 ST Sport Automatic was what the company originally quoted. The Lagos lawyer asked Bankole to explain an "overpayment or misappropriated" fund which is up to the tune of N421.5m on the purchases, adding that there were discrepancies in what was quoted and what was paid for.
In continuing with his allegations, Keyamo gave an impression of Value Added Tax (VAT) being paid deceptively twice. His words: "Another curious thing about this transaction shows that the total amount for the contract, that is the sum of N2, 359,486,500 includes VAT. In the various payment vouchers, VAT was clearly included which came up to N117, 974,325.00. Interestingly, it would appear that the House, under your leadership, went behind again to pay the same amount directly to the Federal Inland Revenue Services. Why pay twice for VAT? This obviously needs some explanations in case I am wrong."
First to react to the allegations, was the Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Eseme Eyiboh, who described Keyamo's allegations as diversionary and an orchestration of deception, adding that the complaints raised by the Lagos lawyer was meant to divert the attention of the public from consideration of the report of the House committee on Power now before members. He accused the Lagos-based lawyer of ignoring the courtesies of communication by releasing a letter meant for the Speaker to the media and also argued that it was not only unfair but suspicious for Keyamo to have scripted his statement on Sunday, held a press conference on the issue on same Sunday without giving the Speaker the benefit of seeing the letter purportedly meant for his office. He explained that apart from the issue of the vehicles purchase being a matter between PAN and the National Assembly bureaucracy, the earlier allegations of malpractices, in the execution of the contract was currently before the House of Representatives Committee on Ethics and Privileges.
When the issue refused to fizzle out like other allegations, Bankole himself was forced to announce that anyone who had concrete evidence or proof on the car deal allegation should see the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges, chaired by Hon. Sani Saleh Minjibir (ANPP), Kano.
And after writing Keyamo to appear before it, the lawyer had replied attaching certain conditions to his appearance. He had, among other things, insisted on full live media coverage of the event. He also asked that all government officials indicted including representatives of PAN appear. According to him, he took the step because, even though it might not be true, the public see the committee as the 'Speaker's Committee'."
Keyamo had, also, in his letter to the committee, warned that, "the test of fair hearing is how Nigerians perceive it and not what is in the minds of those who preside." And so it did turn out to be a rowdy session when Keyamo sat down to face the committee. For more than three hours, the committee members and Keyamo shouted at each other to clearly show that it was "him" and "them", just as the lawyer had warned in his letter. And Keyamo was not a man to waste such an opportunity, that was already captured in the full glare of television cameras. He told the press, after storming out of the meeting, that there cannot be justice from the committee.
"The proceedings here today," he said with all the voice he could muster, "have been totally biased. The proceedings here today have been totally misused. It is clear to all that this is a proceeding that is designed to send the matter to the burial ground. But I will take my crusade to other levels. If I don't get justice here, I will get justice somewhere else. I will not stop. They must give account of every public money that is used."
The next day, a new twist was added to the saga when a motion raised by Rep. Godwin Ndudi Elumelu (PDP Aniocha North/Aniocha South/Oshimili North/Oshimili South-Delta State) bordering on privilege, made reference to a statement made by Hon. Gbenga Oduwaye (PDP Ijebu South/Ejebu East) on the African Independent Television (AIT) on the car purchase saga. Elumelu, after drawing the attention of the House to Oduwaye's statement, said, "I am worried that some of my colleagues, instead of presenting their case on the car purchase to the appropriate committee for investigations, are going outside the House to discredit a decision of the House." He then called on the House to order its Ethics Committee to look into the matter.
This did not stop a lot of people from thinking that the issue was a plot to rubbish Bankole. Even while Keyamo was facing the committee, there was one person who told Keyamo to his face that he was being sponsored by Governor Gbenga Daniel of the Speaker's native Ogun State to unseat Bankole. This was followed by an alarm raised by the Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker, Idowu Bakare, that there was a plot to discredit the leadership of the House. He alleged that documents were being forged concerning the purchase of office equipment and pool vehicles being purported as official contract papers. "There is the circulation of falsified documents concerning the various capital projects being carried out in the House as contained in the 2008 Budget," the statement said. According to him, the plot was designed to sabotage the House oversight function and anti-corruption drive after a conspiracy to criminalise the purchase of 380 Sport Auto cars for committees failed. "Under the leadership of Rt. Hon. Dimeji Bankole, the House of Representatives has done a lot to fight corruption. Media men, in line with the ethics of their profession, should endeavour to confirm the authenticity of documents flying about for this evil agenda of returning the nation to its old, discredit and corruption-ridden past," the Speaker's spokesman added.
While the accusations and counter-accusations were being traded, a civil rights group leader based in the North, Comrade Umar Farouk told the committee that Messrs Independence Ogunewe (PDP, Imo), Gbenga Oduwaye (PDP, Ogun), Kayode Amusan and Festus Adegoke (PDP, Oyo) offered to pay him N1 million to organize press conferences and printing of leaflets with an intent to shape people's opinion against the House. Comrade Farouk in his testimony said Ogunewe had given him N200, 000 as part payment with a promise to provide additional money after he had discharged his responsibility, which included organizing a rally at the National Assembly Complex to prevent Bankole from presiding over the House as well as syndicated press conferences. He alleged that Ogunewe told him that his task was to complement what the Lagos lawyer, Festus Keyamo had started and that Farouk "should name his price".
According to him, Speaker Bankole had stepped on toes and also undermined their "interests," adding that Bankole was "frivolous in spending public funds on indiscriminate overseas trips and over bloated contracts." Farouk said a mutual friend had linked him up with the former Committee chairman on Aviation, and he declared his willingness to fight for Dimeji Bankole's ouster as the Speaker. He however said he became suspicious when Ogunewe allegedly told him to name his price. "I'm not a cash and carry person. We were discussing a lot. Yes, he was giving me the assurances that there would be logistics and material support, that we cannot exhaust the resources voted for this project. And I am at liberty to guess that is part of the resources he got because I saw some new cars that he bought. I saw a brand new Range Rover Jeep. He alleged: "On November 4, 2008, I and Hon Ogunewe met at his Apo residence at about 1015hrs. I presented to him a copy of the anti-Bankole leaflets that he supported financially. He responded that the figures are far more than the amount I published. He demanded that I should correct the anomalies and jerk up the figures so that the general public can scream by merely hearing about the scandal."
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And the House should know no peace until they have learned how to be frugal in their spending, be accountable to the constituencies that elected them into office and be responsible for their votes on behalf of the electorate after due consultation with their constituents. We hope the Press will not relent in pursuing this issue until the full amount is refunded and men behind the fraudulent deal are punished for their lack of judgment and until the House Ethics Committee members apologize to Mr. Keyamo for the vile language used to address their accuser during their initial meeting. If… [Read Full Text]