Senate President Bukola Saraki yesterday denied reports by an online news medium that he received bribe from former President Goodluck Jonathan to help him influence the alleged missing $20 billion from the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) account.

Saraki, who accused the news medium of smear campaign and acting the script of his sponsors, demanded a retraction of the story and an apology  for the publication.

According to a statement by his Special Assistant, New Media, Bankole Omisore,  Saraki said since he defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives (APC), he had never had any contact with Jonathan.

Furthermore, Saraki said it was on record that he was the only member of the Senate Committee on Finance, which probed the allegation, who refused to sign the report on the grounds that he was not convinced on the altruism of the report.

He referred the medium to THISDAY edition of May 29 for confirmation of his objection to the report, saying he was the only member of the committee who refused to sign the report under duress.

[b]“The attention of the Senate President’s media office has been drawn to a malicious fabrication by an online publication aimed at tarnishing the reputation of the Senate President, Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki. 

“First, as a senator in the seventh National Assembly, the Senate President Abubakar Bukola Saraki never signed the report of the Ahmed Makarfi-led Finance Committee investigation into the alleged non-remittance by NNPC of $20 billion into the federation account.

“In his letter dated June 30, 2014 to the committee withholding his signature, he said ‘it is my opinion that this report as laid has not fully addressed the matter referred to us adequately and conclusively. The report has not been definitive on its findings and has failed to address some of the critical issues I had raised during our meetings. For this reason, I am withholding my support and signature.’

“The records of the committee are still accessible in the National Assembly and a copy is here attached. Secondly, it is still on record that Senator Saraki is the only senator in the committee that refused to sign the report even in the face of severe duress and personal inconvenience. Saraki during the investigation, was known to have been very probing with his questions, meticulously reviewing the data offered by NNPC to get to the bottom of the issue.

“It would be recalled that though he did not make the last meeting of the committee, when the news broke that the committee had cleared the NNPC, he was the first and the only senator to refute the report, saying ‘the recent media reports claiming that the Senate Committee on Finance has cleared NNPC of any unaccounted revenue fund are not true… I have been very active in the investigation, nothing significant has changed to suggest clearing of anyone,”[/b] the statement said.

He also described as falsehood the online news medium’s claim that he worked with Jonathan to bring down the amount of unremitted funds as he challenged it to produce evidence of its claim.

Saraki also debunked the allegation that the former president sent gifts of money and other items to him through the Chagoury family but added that the Chagourys have been friends to his family for 26 years.  
[b]“Also, Saraki never met with Jonathan on this report (committee met last on the 16th of February 2014). So, the thought of Saraki working to bring down the number or amount unremitted with Goodluck Jonathan  is completely false.

“For the avoidance of doubt, there has been no meeting of any type between Senator Saraki and former President Jonathan since the senator left PDP. So, any suggestion that ex-President Jonathan sent Chagoury to Saraki with gifts/money to seek support from him on the report is totally false. Both the Sarakis and Chagourys have been family friends for over 26 years.

“We hereby request the general public to disregard the antics of the online news medium. We further call on the medium to immediately retract this offensive publication and offer an unequivocal apology to Saraki, the National Assembly and the citizenry of Nigeria for this unprovoked, reckless and mindless publication.

“The Media Office of the Senate President hereby uses this opportunity to put it on record that the posts by the online news medium are completely false with no iota of truth whatsoever.

“We also challenge the medium to either post facts or any documentation with proof or desist from misleading the reading public with dirty works of fiction apparently commissioned by some politicians in an attempt to destabilise the legislative arm of government and the country as a whole,” the statement added.[/b]

Meanwhile, the wife of the Senate President and Founder of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa, Mrs. Toyin Saraki, has disclosed that she would  honour the invitation extended to her by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The EFCC, according to an online news medium, Premium Times, had sent a letter of invitation to Mrs. Saraki’s office, requesting her to appear before the anti-graft commission.

A statement by her private secretary, Akeem Olagoke said though Mrs. Saraki has no idea what the invitation could pertain to, she had directed an immediate and formal response to the EFCC, that she would be delighted to assist them with any lawful enquiries they might have, as a law abiding, transparent and accountable private citizen.

The statement added that Mrs. Saraki had confirmed an appointment date to honour the invitation at the earliest mutually agreed convenience.

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/saraki-jonathan-did-not-give-me-any-bribe-over-missing-20bn/215392/

Ok.


The truth they say must always come out.

Don't worri (as said from people from delta which is worrying in English) the truth will still come out.

The fear of buhari is the beginning of massive refunding

And you know sai buhari will ask those looters for interest rate for so long the money was in there posession.

www.

Nigerian politics is synonymous to thievery, witch hunting, and black mail

We shall soon know the truth.

All man don dey form "It wasn't me" like shaggy abi? That chair go soon tire boys as e dey hot! Lolz!

funlord:
All man don dey form "It wasn't me" like shaggy abi? That chair go soon tire boys as e dey hot! Lolz!

the fear of kiri-kiri cum ekwulobia prison is the beginning of wisdom


Oremussanctus, where yu dey sef?

Bunch of Rogues

#life #smile #23072015...
Smiling through life and facing each day knowing there's hope.
# I was smiling yesterday, I am smiling today and
I will smile tomorrow cuz life is too short to cry
#The real man smiles in trouble, gathers strength
from distress and grows brave by reflection.
# A smile of encouragement at the right moment
may act like sunlight on a closed up flower ;it may
be the turning point for a struggling life.

nnamdizen:
Nigerian politics is synonymous to thievery, witch hunting, and black mail

Don't insult my profession

Dahveydson:
Ok.


The truth they say must always come out.

Also the EFCC must investigate the case of intercontinental bank debt forgiveness of SARAKI 's debt to the tune of billions of naira. The debt were forgiven by alabi , a former employee of SARAKI 's who was made the md when CBN sacked the board.
The special fraud squad have investigated this and turned in a report.
SARAKI must not be allowed to get away with this fraud which is like daylight robbery.

madridguy:
Bunch of Rogues

Indeed! Whether the report is totally true or not, Saraki lacks the integrity and credibility to be Senate president.

Saraki is right, if we go by his stand as published in the article below.

Senate committee never cleared Diezani, NNPC —Saraki
30.May.2014

THE vice chairman, Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Bukola Saraki, said on Thursday, that the committee did not absolve the  Minister of Petroleum, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke and the management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) of any wrongdoing in the report submitted to the upper chamber on Wednesday.

Saraki,  representing Kwara Central, in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr Bankole Omishore, maintained that as an active member of the committee, the report actually indicted the minister and the NNPC.

Saraki said: “Though I could not attend the last meeting of the committee, I have been very active in the investigation and nothing significant has changed to suggest clearing anybody.

“I can say on behalf of the committee that these media reports bear no correlation to the content of the Senate committee report and I would urge the public to disregard it in its entirety.

“The committee is yet to receive the report on the forensic audit and independent analysis on the subject clearly indicated we have a lot of grounds to cover in order to determine the level of culpability or otherwise of agency on the alleged non-committal.

“Therefore, to suggest any clearance for anybody at this stage is out of the question. I will further advise that the media should wait for the Senate to release the details of the committee report to the public before they jump into spurious conclusions.”

The report is not yet ready and the media and some learned gentlemen are speculating on the contents according to Saraki.

Nobody is going to be exonerated if the words of Saraki is cast on stone but there is need to stop every speculation and court of public opinion.

Let's allow the Senate to finish their job to avoid what happened to Nuhu Ribadu's committee report from repeating itself.

All those wanting to paint goodluck and saraki black should go and chop Stone...

For every rumor, I know there is an element of truth and I believe the trut shall reveal itself soonest.

donholy28:
All those wanting to paint goodluck and saraki black should go and chop Stone...

by the time u see them cooling their feet in ekwulobia prison, u ll understand better.

Buhari will soon have the time for you jonah !
Am am sure madam patience AKA UMBLERRA
Will come and feed you inside the prison

They won't just let GEJ be

before nkor; u go confess?

[color=#770077][/color]still reading

[s]

kindnyce:
Saraki the thief

THE TRUTH IS GRADUALLY COMING OUT

UR DAYS AS SP IS OVER

NEXT DESTINATION WILL BE KIRIKIRI

JUST WATCHOUT

[/s]

[size=18pt]Stealing is not corruption [/size]

If you disagree click like

Saraki the thief

THE TRUTH IS GRADUALLY COMING OUT

UR DAYS AS SP IS OVER

NEXT DESTINATION WILL BE KIRIKIRI

JUST WATCHOUT

Yimu...... All 'polithiefians' are thieves.... Eni ti Ile ba mo ba ni barawo jare (na person wey dem catch be thief) Naija with our RICE AND BEANS POLITICS......

Seems you guys no longer sleep over Nigeria issue..... On to the next thread whether I can be FTC jawe!!!

Shame

These politrickcians . . .

Has anybody, politicians and non politicians alike ever accepted collecting bribe before? Pls save your explanation for those who know better. Stop deceiving and disturbing the public after all we all sleep with our wives without anybody knowing until pregnancy revealed the secret, so wait for the pregnancy now!