THE Senate yesterday challenged the Yar'Adua administration on its anti-corruption stance, charging it to unmask and prosecute Nigerians involved in the alleged N32.4 billion Halliburton bribery scam as a sign of seriousness to re-brand the country.

Senators also demanded action from the Federal Government against the Nigerians, whom Senator Maina Ma'aji Lawan said were named in the Siemens bribery saga.

And in Ibadan, an NGO, the Transition Monitoring Group, TMG, said prosecution of indicted persons in the Halliburton scam will show the world that Nigeria is serious on the re-branding initiative.

In three resolutions, the Senate resolved to institute a public enquiry on the alleged bribery of yet unnamed Nigerian government officials, while also appealing to the United States government to aid the nation's efforts to unravel the scam.

The Senate resolutions were upon a motion moved by Senator Bassey Ewa-Henshaw (PDP, Cross River South) and co-sponsored by ten other Senators seeking action from the Federal Government on the alleged bribery scam.

Presenting the motion, Senator Ewa-Henshaw affirmed that Halliburton, a US firm had confessed to paying N32.4 billion ($180 million) in bribes to senior Nigerian government officials and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) as quid pro quo for the award of $6 billion contracts in the Bonny Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) project.

While asking for the recovery of the alleged bribe money from the yet-to-be-named Nigerians, Senator Ewa-Henshaw also expressed concern at the lack of action by the Federal Government which he claimed has remained quiet on the issue.

The bribe was allegedly given by Halliburton through one of its subsidiaries, Kellog, Brown and Root (KBR). Both were fined $579 million by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fine, Senator Ewa-Henshaw said, was the "single largest combined settlement ever paid by US companies," under a law banning American companies from bribing foreign government officials.

The motion was seconded by Senator Ayogu Eze (PDP, Enugu North) who lamented the effect of corruption on the body polity. Support for the motion came from other Senators including the Minority Leader, Senator Maina Ma'aji Lawan, Deputy Majority Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba (SAN),

Senators Anyim Ude (PDP, Ebonyi South), Bode Olajumoke (PDP, Ondo) Yisa Braimoh (PDP, Edo North), Annie Okonkwo (PDP, Anambra Central), and Satty Gogwin among others.

Take action on Siemens bribery

Contributing to the motion, Senator Lawan sought to draw in another unresolved bribery issue, that of the multi-million dollar payments by German transnational, Siemens AG to Nigerian officials.

"We should not apply double standards. We are talking of Halliburton now, but I am sure of its twin brother in Germany, Siemens. A competent court in almost identical scenario sat, and convicted a company. That company has paid fines and in that instance, the names we are talking about have been furnished by the company," Senator Lawan submitted yesterday.

Some other Senators, however, saw the Halliburton issue as an opportunity for the country to re-brand itself as a clean country with little tolerance for corruption.

"There is no amount of re-branding, there is no amount of treatment, there is no amount of public relations that we will do that will change our image if we do not change as a people. So this saga also offers us the opportunity to re-brand ourselves," Senator Ndoma-Egba (PDP, Cross River Central) said.

Senator Okonkwo speaking in the same vein on the futility of re-branding the country without a change of heart said: "The energy we are using in re-branding Nigeria we should use it in fighting corruption."

Senator Olajumoke in appraising the sensitivity of the administration on the issue said that "It would appear that the executive has turned deaf years as if nothing significant appeared was contained in that publication," he said in reference to newspaper revelations of the Halliburton payments.

Senator Braimoh was to raise the sensitivity of Senators on the issue when he raised the possibility of the involvement of members of the National Assembly in the scam.

"I am praying that no member of the National Assembly is involved," he said as he urged every action to unravel the identities of those involved.

"We must do everything possible in this Senate to make sure that the people concerned are exposed. If you go to a place called Banana Island, Nigerians are buying lands at prices ranging from N500 million per plot. I used to wonder where this kind of money is coming from? I think we must pursue this matter to a logical conclusion," he said, inferring that ill-gotten money was influencing the inflation of prices in the country.

Senator Gogwim, on his part said: "We need to find out those who have actually dragged the name of this country in the mud and this will serve as an example, that tomorrow, if there is going to be any contract that will be given, the question of 10 per cent kickback or kick front will not actually rear its head."

Senate passes three resolutions

Upon the contributions, the Senate resolved to:

• Appeal to the relevant authorities in the United States to cooperate with and assist the government and people of Nigeria in their fight against corruption by making public and/or compelling Halliburton and KBR to name and expose for the benefit of the Nigerian public the alleged Nigerian bribe takers.

• Urge the Federal Government of Nigeria to take all necessary steps to expose and prosecute those involved, and to recover from them the sums received by them as bribes.

• Direct its Committees on Judiciary and Human Rights, Gas and Drugs, Narcotics and Anti-Corruption to conduct a separate and independent investigation on the matter in accordance with section 88 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and report back to the Senate within one month.

TMG reacts

Chairman, Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), Comrade Mashood Erubami, said trial of those involved in the Halliburton $180 million scandal would confirm the re-branding being touted by the Federal Government.

The money used to influence the officials on the liquefied natural gas contract, he said, also confirmed the extent to which corruption has gone in the government circle.

If the trial comes to fruition as pledged by President Umaru Yar'Adua, it would no doubt reinforce the interest of Nigerians in the re-branding project of the current administration.

"Fraud running into billions of naira are being daily committed by government officials, yet government has decided to turn deaf ears to the need for prosecution of those found culpable of the offences", he stated.

He called on the government not to allow Halliburton's scandal go the way of other probes but should investigate the case to ensure all culpable hands must be brought to book to serve as lesson to others.

"The President should take swift action by being more enthusiastic on a campaign to make Nigeria corruption free as he shows strict interest in arresting those revealed to have been involved in the bribe taking without minding whose ox is gored."