Aftermath of oil subsidy probe: Tension grips Reps over alleged $3m bribery scandal
[img]http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/thumbnail.php?file=hon_aminu_tambuwal_house_o_546013740.jpg&size=article_medium[/img]

Barely a year into its tenure, another $3 million bribery scam is rocking the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy Regime.

A prominent member of the committee was alleged to have collected $600,000 from the Chairman of an oil firm to 'influence' the report of the panel, which was submitted on April 18, 2012.

The video of the bribe transaction may be aired on some television stations and YouTube.
But a principal officer of the House said it was the prominent member who blew the lid open to security agencies by reporting an attempt by an oil baron to bribe him with $600,000.

The officer said when the vocal member from the North-West attempted to present the $600,000 publicly at the House plenary, he was prevailed upon by the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) not to do so in order not to embarrass the ruling party.
As at press time, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was said to be probing the bribery scam and the affected Ad Hoc Committee member may be interrogated.

Investigation by our correspondent revealed that the scandal broke with palpable tension in the House on Wednesday.
But some influential members have been trying to suppress the information from filtering out.
It was gathered that the influential members claimed that since the affected Ad Hoc Committee Representatives is a member of the Integrity Group, it would not be tidy to wash their dirty linen in the public.

But The Nation was able to scoop how the $3 million bribe deal was sealed.
Findings confirmed that the oil magnate had allegedly approached the key figure/coordinator in the committee to save his companies from embarrassment for allegedly benefiting from oil subsidy.

The baron had allegedly offered $3 million to the key figure-member in the Ad Hoc Committee with a pledge to pay $600,000 as initial deposit.
With the deal, it was gathered that the key figure in the panel 'doctored' the report to clear the two companies belonging to the oil baron of any shady deal among the 15 marketers that obtained FOREX but did not import petroleum products.

But upon fulfilling his own obligation after the report was submitted, the oil baron was said to have reneged in his pledge to pay outstanding $2.4 million.
A top member of the House, who spoke in confidence, said: "When we met on Wednesday in camera, the affected Ad Hoc Committee member admitted collecting $600,000 from the oil baron who is close to the Presidency.
"He, however, said he decided to play along with the oil baron, who featured prominently as one of the sponsors of 2011 presidential election, to get concrete evidence or proof to bribe him.

"But he refused to even disclose to members of the panel what transpired between him and the oil baron until the bubble burst. He said he only told the Chairman of the House Committee on Narcotics and Financial Crimes about the bribe offer.

" The revelation has shocked many members of the House, but some of our leaders are begging us to treat it as purely internal affairs and let by-gones be by-gones.

"It has also confirmed our suspicion that there was a lot of underhand dealing during the conduct of the probe into payment for fuel subsidy.

"The leadership is so much disturbed about the rumour but it has however claimed that it has not got the details.

"What members are saying is that when a chairman of the House Committee had a pending case of dud cheque before the EFCC, he was allowed to face the music. Now, they are using a different yardstick for a caucus member or a member of the House think-tank.

"What is worrisome is why this leader who collected the $600,000 waited till 40 days after the debate of the Ad Hoc Committee's Report before raising bribery alarm."

Another high-ranking member of the House said: "We are suspecting that some forces in government used the oil baron to set up this vocal coordinating member of the House Ad Hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy.
"From the facts available to us, the oil baron has him on tape on how they negotiated and how he collected the money. A biro-like video tape was used to record him.
"This tape will be made available to the EFCC for investigation of the bribery scam. There is no way the House member will not face trial to prove a point that he cannot cast the first stone.

"I think he should have been a step ahead of those plotting against him. Now, the allegation of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo against lawmakers will be justified.
"This respected member was not circumspect at all. Why should he meet a key member of the cabal in the oil sector that he is investigating?
"But they are miscalculating because the oil baron is closer to the powers that be and this will be another corruption stain on this government.
The third member from the House said: "We will not accept anything other than an open probe into this latest scandal. They want to sweep it under the carpet but it will not work.
"We want the government to air the video of the deal on TV and YouTube to serve as a lesson to others."

A principal officer, who spoke in confidence last night, said: "Officially, the matter has not been communicated to us. Once it is done, we know the step to take."

The acting Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said: "I am making contacts trying to confirm whether we are handling such a case or not."
The House Ad Hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy Regime was inaugurated on January 8, 2012.

Source

WOW WOW!. What company is it!
Anybody that even tries to sweep this under the carpet should be thrown under the bus!
Perhaps there was some benefit to having the oil subsidy scam scandal, IF it enables us unearth who is who in this country. Another chance yet again, to not shy away from dealing with corruption. The house has a strong part to play in dealing with this and if the presidency even tries to cover up this matter Jonathan is finished. This is what people should be protesting for. Let us know who is who. Shocking.

Kudos to the whistle blower (even if that part of the story look like e get k leg small).
Looking on to further details.

Please provide us with the video here online whenever it becomes available.
I am guessing Farouk Lawan was the one approached, and that He wanted to collect the 3 million for keeps and the deal turned awry, so he went along with plan B: expose the actors(just a theory) so there you have it, corruption at its ugliest.

Sky Blue: WOW WOW!. What company is it!
Anybody that even tries to sweep this under the carpet should be thrown under the bus!
Perhaps there was some benefit to having the oil subsidy scam scandal, IF it enables us unearth who is who in this country. Another chance yet again, to not shy away from dealing with corruption. The house has a strong part to play in dealing with this and if the presidency even tries to cover up this matter Jonathan is finished. This is what people should be protesting for. Let us know who is who. Shocking.

Kudos to the whistle blower (even if that part of the story look like e get k leg small).
Looking on to further details.

Any wonder most independent observers with a keen interest in the fight against corruption think it has gone south (pun intended)?
Like you, I will be following this one very closely.

We know they are all corrupt even the so call Buhari

When you fight corruption in Naija, corruption will fight back. I can bet that it is all a lie. The story is a fight back by corrupt oil barons to tarnish the image of amiable Farouk and his team.

Whoever believes this story is not wise.

jamace: When you fight corruption in Naija, corruption will fight back. I can bet that it is all a lie. The story is a fight back by corrupt oil barons to tarnish the image of amiable Farouk and his team.

Whoever believes this story is not wise.

what if the facts are there, the video will soon come online

jamace: When you fight corruption in Naija, corruption will fight back. I can bet that it is all a lie. The story is a fight back by corrupt oil barons to tarnish the image of amiable Farouk and his team.

Whoever believes this story is not wise.

? ? ? ? ? Are you sure you actually read the article?

Na wa oo . . . . Not even a single name of any of the actors on either side. This almost reads like something from the gossip factory . . .

Kobojunkie: Na wa oo . . . . Not even a single name of any of the actors on either side.

Here you go, Madam.

ABUJA-There are indications that fresh trouble is brewing at the House of Representatives over allegations that Chairman of the House’s Adhoc Committee on Petroleum Subsidy Hon. Farouk Lawan was involved in a bribery scandal worth $600,000 last month.

Already there are speculations that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) may have invited Hon Lawan over the bribery allegation which sources say have already resulted in the Speaker of the House Hon. Aminu Tambuwal disowning the legislator over the messy incident.

It was gathered that Tambuwal had confronted Lawan over the issue in a meeting of Principal officers of the House where the Chairman of the Adhoc Committee on Petroleum Subsidy was summoned to defend himself over the allegation.

Sources said that Hon. Lawan had initially denied the allegation when it was put to him by the Speaker but froze in shock when he was confronted with details of what transpired at the address where officials of an unnamed oil company had given him the huge amount of foreign currency which had been marked.

It was further gathered that unknown to Hon Lawan, the entire incident was recorded by video after which copies were sent to a former Head of State who handed it over to Tambuwal.

It would be recalled that in the wake of the controversy that was generated over the Federal Government’s planned total withdrawal of subsidy from petroleum products last January, the House of Representatives set up the Adhoc Committee to probe how the subsidy fund that was appropriated by the National Assembly in the past had been disbursed.

Among the findings of the House was that despite the fact that only N400 billion was appropriated for payment of oil subsidy in 2011, over one trillion naira was spent. It was also alleged that a lot of the payments were made to phoney companies.

Source

Amazing stuff . . .So "Farouk Lawan" hot air about being on the side of Nigerians was farce . . .and i wonder who pulled that stunt on him . . . . . .

To neutralize a seeming genuine man . .simply destroy his reputation . . .and that is what the gamers aimed and succeded at . . .

There goes the validity of the subsidy report . . .

This episode shoudn't be swept aside

I have said it before and will say it again, only outsiders can really tackle the menace of corruption in Nigeria.
In an age where fraudsters have perfected the art of keeping tabs and dossiers on each other, every one of the (corruption) probes currently playing out has to be seen for what it truly is - a case of much ado about nothing

OBJ was right.

So this turns out to be the same allegations that surfaced back in April, right after the probe report was released against the man, Farouk Lawan?

Oh! I thought someone else was bring fingered this time around. Oh! well, allegations boku . . . would be great if by now, we would get some UPDATE on these allegations. What is happening with the revelations from the subsidy probe?

If a new subsidy probe has to be done then so be it. This new development should be looked into but not at the expense of the original subsidy scam. If there has to be another probe into the oil subsidy probe then so be it. Nigerians need to start seeing some results and resolution of all these probes, not just jumping from one distraction to another. Like play like play we will start hearing of probes into the probes of the oil subsidy probe of the oil subsidy scam. We need to stay focused to a degree here. Before you know it the whole thing has ended and nobdy is in jail!!!! Who is in jail for the Halliburton scandal again??

Sky Blue: If a new subsidy probe has to be done then so be it. This new development should be looked into but not at the expense of the original subsidy scam. If there has to be another probe into the oil subsidy probe then so be it. Nigerians need to start seeing some results and resolution of all these probes, not just jumping from one distraction to another. Like play like play we will start hearing of probes into the probes of the oil subsidy probe of the oil subsidy scam. We need to stay focused to a degree here.

I no like this your suggestion at all.
In addition to many innovations we've bequeathed to the rest of the world, you think our true calling lies with the creation of an industry of probes?

eGuerrilla:

I no like this your suggestion at all.
In addition to many innovations we've bequeathed to the rest of the world, you think our true calling lies with the creation of an industry of probes?

As long as people pay for the crime. We need to let people stop thinking they can get away with things if they are patient enough to wait out the initial gra gra. I still want to see some heads roll for the halliburton scandal. Since we have taken corruption to an industrial scale I really believe the whole idea of special courts to deal with these kinds of trials should be implemented for fast tracking. I still want to see the crook called Peter Odili in jail. The backlog is too much but again, as long as justice eventually comes, probe the probe of the probe of the probe for all I care. It is the message it sends. You will be punished!!!

Why is the article making desperate attempts to drag the presidency into an alleged corruption scandal against a committee set up by the House, and whose reports were submitted to the house? Remember that some characters has called for the resignation of NOI and DAM based on this same report and the so called presidency and PDP are powerless against indicting serving government officials. How come that this same 'presidency' and PDP could save an unnamed oil baron but not her serving ministers? Resolving the puzzle behind this alleged scandal could provide answers as to why the serving Oil minister for the peak periods of the subsidy money theft was not questioned by this 'very' sincere committe 'ably headed' by a member of 'integrity' group.

Already there are speculations that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) may have invited Hon Lawan over the bribery allegation which sources say have already resulted in the Speaker of the House Hon. Aminu Tambuwal disowning the legislator over the messy incident.

It was gathered that Tambuwal had confronted Lawan over the issue in a meeting of Principal officers of the House where the Chairman of the Adhoc Committee on Petroleum Subsidy was summoned to defend himself over the allegation.

Was this not the same Lawan that had Mrs. Etteh removed, because money that was shared did not get to him?
Lawan was involved in fraud regarding the NASS cars, but only Bankole is now facing trial.
I am sure Keyamo and Dino Melaye will be laughing.

Beans don burn! Dem don niked dem Tambuwal for public o! Lol!

I posted this elsewhere:

Beaf: ...

This is a situation in which id!ots tried to outsmart the intelligent. Natural order has simply taken its cause.

What I gather is very simple, Tambuwal and his people thought they were very smart and could retain the present evil oil sector as it is by politicising their "probe."
As it stands 85% of indigenous oil business is held by core-Northerners and any fair probe will get them to the same disproportionate degree.

First pointer to mago-mago:
How could the reps claim to have done a non-politicised probe the subsidy without inviting Rilwan Lukman under whom the vast majority of fraud took place?

What is evident from the story is that they were outsmarted and one of the [b]innocent [/b]companies they attempted to rope played along and videotaped the entire murky shenanigan. Keep calling GEJ names, he will keep outsmarting you.

You demons cannot keep attempting to appear as angel to the gullible. Nigeria will progress and the petroleum sector will be cleaned up regardless of your antics.

lari03: Please provide us with the video here online whenever it becomes available.
I am guessing Farouk Lawan was the one approached, and that He wanted to collect the 3 million for keeps and the deal turned awry, so he went along with plan B: expose the actors(just a theory) so there you have it, corruption at its ugliest.

Crap. Farouk Lawan was set up and fell mugu. It seems that EFCC is already hovering.
The reps chose to play a dirty game to shield the real criminals and rope in the innocent (those close to GEJ) with the subsidy report.
A trap was set and they got caught.

Simples.

denko: what if the facts are there, the video will soon come online

There are rumours of threats to put it on youtube.

Funny shiit!

Blur out some faces if absolutely necessary but this video needs to be shown to the Nigerian public. No more "family affair" approach to dealing with these things,the very idea is grossly undemocratic plus I believe wehave an FOI law now.

These people are the devil posing as angels of light. They simply used sweet sounding words to twist the entire subsidy matter upside down and Nigerians fell mugu for it.

[size=14pt]Subsidy Probe:EFCC Probes Rep Over $3m Bribe[/size]
Written by Taiwo Adisa and Kolawole Daniels, Abuja Saturday, 09 June 2012

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has commenced investigations into allegations that members of the House of Representatives adhoc committee, which recently probed the fuel subsidy regime, collected a bribe of $3 million (about N500m) from some oil industry chieftains.

It was alleged that a cash advance of $600,000(about N96m) was received by the point man in the bribe scandal, who was said to have appeared before the EFCC on Friday.

Information pieced together by the Saturday Tribune indicated that EFCC had interrogated the alleged ring leader of the bribery scandal who was said have collected the $600,000 bribe directly from the house of a top player in the oil industry.

It was learnt that the top player was indicted by the subsidy probe for allegedly collecting foreign exchange, without using same to import fuel but that the oil mangnate approached a member of the adhoc committee for succour.

A deal of $3million was said to have been struck, while the oil chief gave a cash of $600,000 for the job.

It was learnt that in fulfillment of the deal, the committee later removed the oil magnate’s name from the list of indicted companies in respect of alleged abuse of forex for oil imports.

[size=14pt]Sources in the National Assembly confirmed to the Saturday Tribune that the heat was turned on the adhoc committee man some days ago when he got wind that the State Security Services(SSS) has tapes of his receipt of the bribe from the oil magnate and that the service was ready to confront the leadership of the House with the details.[/size]

The affected Rep was then said to have moved to ensure that the money was displayed on the floor of the House on Thursday after allegedly handing over the cash money he got from the oil magnate.

The plot, according to sources, was that the Rep wanted to claim that he got the money so as to play along with the bribery saga and that he was now sure the time was ripe to release the money.

[size=14pt]Sources, however, said that the foreign currency handed over to the Rep were marked notes and that the security agencies were on top of the probe.[/size]

“There was a frenzy in the House on Thursday when the affected Rep attempted to cause the committee on anti-Corruption to display the money as evidence of attempts to bribe him but members resisted the move on the claim that the line of argument cannot be pushed because the man had kept the money for more than two months.

Besides, the Reps who, opposed the bid, were said to have claimed that the request for which the money was given was carried out on the floor.

Spokesman of the House of Representatives, Hon. Zakari Mohammed, said in a telephone interview that he was not officially briefed on the interrogation of the Rep member by the EFCC in relation to the bribery saga, adding that he had left Abuja for Ilorin after the Thursday sitting.

Calls to the telephone number of the chairman of the Adhoc Committee, Hon, Farouk Lawan as well as that of the Chairman of the Standing Committee on EFCC, Hon. Jagaban Adams Jagaban were unanswered on Friday, just as the duo did not also respond to text messages.

EFCC spokesman, Mr. Wilson Ewujaren, however, pleaded for time for him to be in official capacity to confirm the development.

He said that he was having challenges reaching some key persons.

http://www.tribune.com.ng/sat/index.php/news/7639-subsidy-probeefcc-probes-rep-over-3m-bribe.html

Sky Blue: Blur out some faces if absolutely necessary but this video needs to be shown to the Nigerian public. No more[b] "family affair"[/b] approach to dealing with these things,the very idea is grossly undemocratic plus I believe wehave an FOI law now.

@bolded
What is that?

A deal of $3million was said to have been struck while Otedola promised to make available a deposit of $500,000 and the balance provided after the dust has settled.

Not suspecting that he was being recorded by Otedola with pen camera, Farouk was said to have thereafter gone to his friend’s house in Abuja to collect the first payment of $500,000. Upon return from Otedola’s house with the slush fund, Lawan was said to have called his partner in crime, Hon Jagaban Adams Jagaban who is the House committee chairman overseeing the activities of the nation’s anti-graft police, the EFCC and confided in him. The latter prevailed on him to let him take custody of the money, a request that was obliged.
Again, Otedola was said to have gone ahead to invite the clerk of the probe panel,one Boniface Emenalor and handed him $100,000 to also help in the task of doctoring the report. The clerk was said to have briefed Lawan upon return from Otedola and handed his own bribe which was in turn deposited with Jagaban.

ireports-ng.com gathered that while the entire deal was going on, no other member of the probe panel was taken into confidence by the trio of Lawan, Jagaban and Emenalor.As such,the report was submitted with the full indictment of Otedola intact. He was indicted for using his companies to collect foreign currencies from the CBN under the guise of fuel import but diverted same, a pure money laundering criminal offense.
With a total of $600,000 slush fund all kept with the cashier of the syndicate, Hon.Jagaban, they all kept mute for weeks after the conclusion of their assignment, possibly waiting for the appropriate time to share the loot if there is no trouble coming.

Source

See cloak and dagger moves
Corruption assuming a life form before our very eyes.
Jagaban fall my hand bad bad!
Back on April 25th, at a time when Jagaban probably outdid himself with garrulousness, I made the following observation...

Recommendation 23

The practice whereby PPPRA as a regulator in the petroleum downstream sector being supervised by the Ministry of Petroleum Resources whose Minister is the Chairman of the Board of NNPC (a major importer/participant in the PSF scheme) negates the principles of checks and balances and international best practices.
The Committee therefore recommends that the regulatory capacity of PPPRA be strengthened and the National Assembly should commence the process of amending the Act to make the Agency autonomous

.

Amendment: Honourable Jagaba proposes that the minister be sanctioned.
Chairman: "The committee, in its wisdom, has asked the president to re-org the ministry"
Honourable Farouk Lawan: "Our recommendation is based on what was proposed by some senator who is GCON, CON...etc."
Chairman: "Honourable Jagaba, are you stepping down your proposal"
Honourable Jagaba: "I would be prefer the house to vote on it"

Haba! Amendment rejected

eGuerrilla:
Source

See cloak and dagger moves
Corruption assuming a life form before our very eyes.
Jagaban fall my hand bad bad!
Back on April 25th, at a time when Jagaban probably outdid himself with garrulousness, I made the following observation...

show them something, where's calloti she's the one with the best vocabulary to describe this drama.

icez:

@bolded
What is that?

I recall during the Obasanjo dispensation when a few scandals involving members of the PDP party fighting among each other was covered up and details were not brought out because according to him, it was a PDP 'family affair', suggesting an internal approach to addressing the issue. That is what I am referring to. A section from the article posted below is what I am worried about

eGuerrilla: But some influential members have been trying to suppress the information from filtering out.
It was gathered that the influential members claimed that since the affected Ad Hoc Committee Representatives is a member of the Integrity Group, it would not be tidy to wash their dirty linen in the public.

Source

Sky Blue:

I recall during the Obasanjo dispensation when a few scandals involving members of the PDP party fighting among each other was covered up and details were not brought out because according to him, it was a PDP 'family affair', suggesting an internal approach to addressing the issue. That is what I am referring to. A section from the article posted below is what I am worried about

I share those same concerns.
Check out this thread also: https://www.nairaland.com/959606/farouk-lawan-subsidy-probe-committee/3

In the media, the government and security agencies are winning the war on corruption-the nations greatest setback. While in reality, they are only fluctuating in their actions. It's just like a one step front and two steps back movement. However, may God empower the masses to change the status quo.

Will be keeping an eye on the one. Farouk Lawan, Integrity Group indeed.

In the land of dogs and baboons, integrity has gone to the dogs! The baboons are confused!

PointB: Will be keeping an eye on the one. Farouk Lawan, Integrity Group indeed.

In the land of dogs and baboons, integrity has gone to the dogs! The baboons are confused!

Kai! Laf don make my cassava fall!