talk of transparency?

ONLY 232 million Naira was approved for the renovation of Speaker Patricia Etteh’s official residence, as against 628 million Naira being speculated by some people, Chairman House Committee on Information, Dino Melaye, has said. He said the approval was made by the Body of Principal Officers and the Tenders Board. Melaye said at a news conference in Abuja yesterday that the clarification was necessary in view of the claims by the opposition that 628 million Naira was used for the project.

He said the complex comprised three buildings and was last renovated in 2003 contrary to allegation that it was done in 2006. He added that Etteh returned to her private residence after only two nights in Transcorp Hilton on realising the cost of her stay in the hotel for another four months. Following the inability of FCDA to undertake the renovation due to lack of funds, Melaye said the National Assembly took up the challenge.

“She is the first Speaker since the return of democracy to reject hotel accommodation while her official residence was being renovated. “This is a gesture influenced by her patriotic zeal to save the nation from incurring a cost that could be avoided’’ he said. He claimed that all electrical fittings, kitchen cabinets and all other household items in the complex were removed and needed to be replaced.

He said the official vehicles mentioned by the opposition are pool vehicles for the use of all the Principal officers and not for the Speaker alone. The House spokesman described those sponsoring the “negative information aimed at destabilising the leadership of the House’’ as jokers, because the Speaker has resolved to offer effective leadership.

Briefing newsmen on the development, Halims Agoda, PDP-Delta, said the House would investigate the allegation and if found to be true, all the affected officers would be sanctioned. “I am going to lead a one-man crusade to investigate these allegations and establish the truth. This House stands for transparency and accountability,’’ he said.

In a statement, the Deputy Minority Leader, Suleiman Kawu, said the opposition “has distanced itself from the 628 million Naira house renovation scam’’. He assured Nigerians that the opposition would meet on resumption, and set up a committee that would look into the matter.


http://www.newnigeriannews.com/cover_4.htm

What kind of useless leaders do we have? university graduates can't find a job. the policemen are poorly paid, inadequately funded, unequipped, and yet our senseless leaders are spending this whoping sum on a freaking renovation? were this houses built of gold? if people can recalled, i stated once why were all the senators staying at the Hilton hotel in Abuja pending when they get new residence because all the old senators houses were sold.

What do you expect from someone who goes to USA for Birthday celebration in the name of medical check up.

What a shame to 2007 Nigeria.

House of Representative members should start grooming any other lady to takeover her post, Etteh has no clue what speakership is about.

@topic,

N232 million Naira for renovation?! Abeg, can someone please show me the way to become a representative. The way these people dey blow our money no be small. To say I no tire for Naija go be one big, fat lie!

I wonder how much it cost the Federal government to house all the senators at Hilton hotel. I bet we wont know that cost because the big boys are all involved in that deal

And what part of Nigeria is this woman from again? who is she accountable to? as the number 4 highest post in Nigeria, is YAR ADUA not his boss? wont he have had a say in the renovation?

Just pondering some thought

It's disheartening that of all the fine and capable Yoruba politicians, OBJ found this lady the most suitable to be the speaker of the house of rep. at this time.

naijaking1 here we go, was she elected by OBJ? When will Nigerians stop blaming OBJ for their stupidity? Was OBJ the president when the senate leader and his deputies were appointed? Kai

In the Nigerian House of Assembly of the 4th Republic , it is business as usual again!
Wabara, Mantu, Zwingina,Okadigbo and tons of others have walked this shameful path. Madam Etteh must not shame the women folk please

When i complained about her credentials people almost had my head for breakfast and lunch, I told them lets wait and see, didnt take to long.

mamajama,
i hereby nominate you for the post of the most confussed nairalander.
you have in your different posts and thread in this same forum made us to understand that obj is the best thing that has happened to nigeria and the most recent of ur position is your post on obj's readiness to take on nigerian press for their negative reports on his person so why are u here again to question Etteh's renovation claims.
or are u saying the press is mad again? the issue is that aso rock is mad and everyother nigerian is doing his or her best to be mad.
efcc at the end of the day chooses who to penalise for their personal reasons.
the question we shld be asking is, who is she and why was she choosen?
she is there for a purpose and it is not her duty to please anyother person except for the one and only obj that choose her.
elected officials are accountable to the voters but selected officials are accountable only to the one who select them.
in her case, the press are there to tell the helpless nigerians how their tax money and crude oil money are being used. in their helplessness, the interests of the majority will be diverted to other means of livelihood ranging from fraud to robbery and to oil pipeline vandalization and the current kidnaping business demanding ramsomes and such will be the effects of aso rock on the citizenry.
at the end of the day, such woman will expect the press to praise and congratulate her achievemnet in the field of spending.
okonjo iweala was sure of herself when she was the financial minister and never had issues with the press so why worried as a public officer when u can call for a press conferece  and make right the wrong.
mamajama, your likes can never make a good nigerian as you are out there to call white black. for real and i mean every expect of my word and i assure u i don't have anything against your person but your stand as a nigerian on political issues espoecially when it has to do with obj make me suspect foul play.

“ He claimed that all electrical fittings, kitchen cabinets and all other household items in the complex were removed and needed to be replaced.

Why didn't they asked the person who stripped the place bare to pay compensation towards the renovation.

Sometime back i questioned the rational for making someone with her qualification speaker everyone shouted me down.
From day 1, i believe she doesn't know much about leadership, we should elect people to such positions based on ability not based on Gender.
I am not suprised that she feels that Leadership is about throwing Parties in US and Lavishly Furnishing her House. What kind of House needs over 200million furniture are they building new houses.
Misplaced priorities, however I dont blame her, I blamed the People who voted to make a Hairdresser Speaker of the House of Representatives Federal Republic of Nigeria, Sounds like a huge Joke to me sha.

OBJ only thought it was wise to give women more opportunities in Politics

I dont see anything wrong with that idea, we should blaim Etteh for her failure not OBJ.

Why cant somepeople just leave OBJ alone

Na una sabi, when pips dey complain una think say person dey do black bele for womenfolk, abi no be una dey back a Saloon Operative as ya speaker? I hear say the woman sabi jolly well well, make una wait this na just the beginning. The yeye boy (deputy speaker) just dey follow her till she push am for ditch him eye go open.

I beleive there are still many women out there that have excelled in different fields that can do far better than what she's doing, abeg impeach the hair dresser sharp sharp.

Thank you McKren  and for you MR chidichris  you are nothing boy a BOY BOY so we called them in HAUSA.  DID OBJ gave ETTEH the post she presently occupied?  DID OBJ GAVE DAVID MARK THE POST HE PRESENTLY OCCUPIED?  DID OBJ TELL ETEH to go to Maryland to celebrate her B day bash or spend such a huge amount on renovation?  Why not say OBJ is responsible for all the poor people in Nigeria DUFUS.

Women need to be included in politics to remove the stereotype and stigma that it's a mans world, but at the same time everyone has to be accountable for their action.  was there a war against corruption before OBJ?  how much has the EFCC revcovered from all this illiterate pork neck governors?  Lets give credit where credit is due.

It is not Obj's fault oh. The woman is responsible for her actions and this is not a gender issue. I am a woman but I still fail to understand the criteria for choosing her as the most suitable candidate to head the house.
I am not saying Paper Qualification is Ultimate but A Leader should have some qualities; such as Charisma, exposure or Intellect. All of this she has not shown ume that she posses

She had charisma alright, you see how she dresses, lol

Thank you McKren and for you MR chidichris you are nothing boy a BOY BOY so we called them in HAUSA. DID OBJ gave ETTEH the post she presently occupied? DID OBJ GAVE DAVID MARK THE POST HE PRESENTLY OCCUPIED? DID OBJ TELL ETEH to go to Maryland to celebrate her B day bash or spend such a huge amount on renovation? Why not say OBJ is responsible for all the poor people in Nigeria DUFUS.

Women need to be included in politics to remove the stereotype and stigma that it's a mans world, but at the same time everyone has to be accountable for their action. was there a war against corruption before OBJ? how much has the EFCC revcovered from all this illiterate pork neck governors? Lets give credit where credit is due.

Mamajama,
to make u understand that i am not interested in anything outside the topic on board, i will overlook the name calling and answer ur questions.
it is obvious and generally acceptable in nigeria that from the post of presidency to the last in the april polls were almost choosen by obj in his ambition to make sure all the important positions in the polity of nigeria are occupied by his people.
who does not know that.
there was no convention in pdp as all the party flag bearers were choosen by obj excpet in imo state were the court rejected his gubernitorial candidate of which he has been compensated with a ministerial appointment.
maybe you are not current, david mark or david johnson whatever name u like give to him, was choosen by the big old fool and that is why most pdp members left the party.
if the house of the speaker were vandalized, who will be responsible? maybe it is kalu of abia state who did it as that has become the only interest efcc has.
why are we shouting over the money for her renovation? her predicessors have been renovating their's so why her's?
how much did tony annenih embezzled? who have asked for that? he is obj's boy and as such no problem.
my dear, believe it or not obj is responsible and the press will do him well.

chidichris with your explanation, lets be logical for one minute. for instance if I send my brother or a good friend of mine to go a rub a bank, who will be responsible for the rubbery? He who committed the crime of the alleged sender? Call OBJ what you want, this speaker was confirmed by people and the people who confirmed her should be questioning themselves.

IF OBJ did ELECT PICK THIS WOMAN AND YAR ADUA. why are people not crediting OBJ for electing a good leader to succeed him? why do we Nigerians always focus on negativity?

very disgraceful set of people!! almost £1million just to renovate one persons residence

aisha2, i don't know anything about her but i feel many people from the house will do exactly the same thing if elected to that position, seems they are in charge of everything in this country the keep whining about their allowance and pay structure! they waste so much time talking about their basic pay, furniture and car allowance iw onder if tehy really do what they are their for. they should be made to live in the rep state and go to Abuja only once a week or something!

I BEG, I NO SABI BOOK.
THE QUESTION WEY I WANT TO ASK BE,
HOW MUCH BE THE HOUSE WEY ETTEH DEY STAY BEFORE SHE COME THIS NEW OFFICE?

PLEASE GET DIYA FATIMEHIN & JIDE TAIWO TO DO THE VALUATION.

IF THE VALUE OF THE HOUSE LESS THAN N1 BILLION, THEN WE GO INVOKE SANGO TO STRIKE HER STRAIGHT BECAUSE ALL THIS BIBLE AND QURAN DEY DELAY JUSTICE.

Seems as if Madam speaker probably slipped on the proverbial banana peel, lol haha

To make a long story short, I seriously don't see this woman been impeach. This is Nigeria, and if you do a thorough investigation, this contract will implicate the big wigs. But I sorry for Nigeria just like FEMI KUTI said.

if she is not impeach, the contract should be reviewed or withdrawn jare!

Just imagine renovating her residence and the other one with N628million, how much did yaradua declare again?

Dis Guy:

very disgraceful set of people!! almost £1million just to renovate one persons residence

aisha2, i don't know anything about her but i feel many people from the house will do exactly the same thing if elected to that position, seems they are in charge of everything in this country the keep whining about their allowance and pay structure! they waste so much time talking about their basic pay, furniture and car allowance iw onder if tehy really do what they are their for. they should be made to live in the rep state and go to Abuja only once a week or something!

People can only do so if we allow them get away with it. Every human being should be held accountable for his action, Leader or Not

If 232m for renovation of house, Is it Eiffel tower that she lives in? How much for renovation of her face with cosmetics. The woman looks like a scarecrow most of the time that I begin to wonder if she was born with concealers, makeup and pancake

What annoys me it is the "only" they keep saying. N232 Million can fund 2 universities for a year oh. ANd renovate and equip a teaching hospital, yet they channel peoples money to renovate on persons house for one persons benefit and have the audacity to say only.
Good job to the house members that brought this magnaminus fraud to light. Let her go back to her salon bussiness and see how many years it will take for her to declare a profit of N232 million, then use it to renovate her house

My beef with her is that she's very arrogant even with her collegues. You know when you get something on a platter of gold you tend to take it for granted. I believe if she was worth the position of speaker she would have been humble in her actions.

How can you renovate an official residence of a politician with over £1m?

I was under the impression that we are beginning to awake from our slumber but this is nothing short of madness.

RENOVATION

Easyy:

How can you renovate an official residence of a politician with over £1m?

I was under the impression that we are beginning to awake from our slumber but this is nothing short of madness.

RENOVATION

Yeh we are awaking that is why we even got to hear about it. Things like this have been done before but were not brought to light. Some Members of the House felt it was wrong and are investigating, according to the members investigating the renovation, over 600 million was used but the speaker and her defenders are saying it is "only" 232 million.
Those house members am sure will be accused by some curroption apololist will say she is being witchunted and will accuse the Patrotic Members of being " Political Enemies" sponsored by opposion

The actions of these our leaders are outrageous and calls for an urgent intervention.
   They keep on deceiving and defrauding us. Well, I blame them less because this is not the first time such erroneous act has been perpetuated. If reformation is to be employed, it must start from the past leaders because they taught these present ones the act of embezzlement andfraudulent leadership.
    It’s a pity that they abandon the electorates and divert the nation’s fund to their coffers for their greedy nd selfish needs.
FOOLS!!!.