LAWAN/OTEDOLA BRIBERY SCANDAL: WHO IS THE THIEF?

      The fuel subsidy probe started as a result of people’s protest against the hike in price of fuel due to removal of subsidy earlier this year. Federal government claimed that the subsidy was removed because it is not yielding result as expected. This was because some marketers, with conspiracy from top government functionary, are milking Nigeria dry. The statement sparked off arguments and counter-arguments among eminent activists on why Jonathan could not unmask these saboteurs once and for all.

     Faruk Lawan, a highly respected law-maker who is always at the forefront of struggle for a better Nigeria, is indicted in the bribery scandal of trying to cover Zenon Oil  and Synopsis Enterprises by allegedly collecting $620,000 from Zenon chairman, Femi Otedola. On Tuesday, 24th ^April 2012, the matter was brought to the House and at the same time Otedola granted an interview with This Day newspaper where he said Lawan asked him ‘why are you being difficult? Others have been playing along.’ This means that Femi was accussing Lawan of demanding for bribe to de-list his company from those that will face probe.

     The fact that a small percentage of this country’s population has been living fat on oil subsidy, when the larger percentage is still suffering and smiling is something ridiculous. No wonder why Transparency International tags us the happiest people on earth! If Gani Fawenmi were alive today, he would have sued the whole House of Representatives member for culpability, conspiracy to loot and still public fund and other charges. The Hose is full of questionable representatives who joined to politics to loot. Though the speaker of the House, Aminu Tambuwal urged all the members not to be cowed or intimidated by anybody involved in this scandal, Lawan himself said he brought the offer of the bribe to notice of the House leadership.

   The leadership of the House is now denying such information but I believe there is more than meet the eyes in the matter. Lawan is a major player and it’s natural for the House leaders to back out when the chips are down thus leaving Lawan on his own after all he went to Otedola’s house on his own to collect $620000 at 4 am on that day. What about the video of how he put the remaining notes under his cap when his pockets were already full. If there is a proof of him informing the leadership of the house, then he is not alone in the boat.

     We should not forget in a hurry that it was this same house that passed vote of confidence on Dimeji Bankole before he was arrested after his tenure last year. They are now trying to pass vote of confidence on the present leadership!

   Zenon Oil are claiming innocence in the subsidy scam ; Lawan, as the chairman of Ad Hoc Committee on the probe, came out to appeal for the de-listing of Zenon and Synopsis from the companies to be probed; and now the bribery scandal from the same companies he appealed for! We do not need an investigator or specialist to know something money exchanged hands between the two parties.

  Faruok said he collected the money but he wanted to use it as evidence after he had earlier denied collecting the money. The big question is; why did he allowed Otedola to make the first move?, why did he delay his own announcement to the whole world to hear from 24^th April till the time Otedola granted interview? Where is the ‘marked’ money that he collected from business mogul?  If it was really a well contrived conspiracy, as being claimed by some people, against such a clean and sanitized lawmakers like Lawan, then he should have made the first move.

    Nigeria wears a toga of corruption and this is manifested everywhere you go in the country. Every thief wants to come out clean. Otedola claimed that his action was a ‘sting’ operation to nail Lawan after the latter had intimidated him and Lawan he wanted to use the money as evidence with the prima facie case around him. If Otedola is an ‘Agent Provocateur’ as he claimed that he was playing along, then he should have called for Lawan’s arrest at the point of giving him the money. Both are playing fast game because they know their ‘contract’ was not based on trust.

   Investigation should start to unearth what really happened. They are both playing their games at the detriment of the masses who are the end losers. Oil companies like Zenon obtained FOREX but did not import petroleum for the masses. These questions must be answered after the investigation; who made the first approach? Who deployed the State Security Service [SSS]; Is there any conspiracy from the Presidency to teach Lawn a lesson for being the most ardent opposition more than the opposition from opposition parties?; who se up the video?;the SSS, the police or Otedola’s private security?