Alleged dollar bribes spark row in House

This was the second day that the arms cash scandal was overshadowing proceedings in the House.On Tuesday, presiding Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha ruled to disallow debate on the impounded cash on the grounds that it was a matter of national security.This led to a walk out by most lawmakers present at the session, who accused […]

This was the second day that the arms cash scandal was overshadowing proceedings in the House.
On Tuesday, presiding Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha ruled to disallow debate on the impounded cash on the grounds that it was a matter of national security.
This led to a walk out by most lawmakers present at the session, who accused Ihedioha of taking the wrong decision.
One of the protesters, Rep Aliyu Sani Madaki (APC, Kano) also alleged that there were rumours of bribes shared to some members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to block debate on the arms cash.
Yesterday, Rules and Business Committee chairman, Rep Albert Sam-Tsokwa (PDP, Taraba), raised the matter on the floor of the House.
“I woke up this morning to find that almost all the dailies are awash with the report on the walk out of APC members yesterday (Tuesday) on the motion on the $9.3 million. They went further to allege that PDP members were given $50,000 to kill the motion,” he said.
He said this breached his privilege as a PDP member, since he and other members have not collected the alleged bribes.
Presiding Deputy Speaker Ihedioha referred the matter to the Ethics and Privileges Committee for investigation, and hinted that there may be consequences for those who made the bribery allegation.
“I must also remind us that times like this, for those who were in the last Assembly, times like this had casualties and I don’t pray that any of us becomes a casualty,” he said.
“I do not intend to open debate on the submissions of Sam-Tsokwa. This matter is referred to the Committee on Ethics and Privileges and to report back in two weeks.”
At this point, Rep Madaki raised a point of order, and tried to explain how he mentioned the allegation of sharing bribes on which he was reported by Daily Trust newspaper yesterday.
He said what he told the newspaper’s reporter was that he heard of the sharing of bribes of $20,000 each to some lawmakers, not $50,000.
Madaki tried to offer further explanation over the allegation, but some lawmakers shouted him down. The Deputy Speaker then intervened, saying: “Please Hon. Ali Madaki take your seat.”
Ihedioha said he was referring Madaki’s explanation too to the ethics committee for investigation, to report back in two weeks.
The motion moved on Tuesday sought for a “thorough investigation” into the smuggling of cash equivalent of N1.5 billion into South Africa by two Nigerians and an Israeli on September 5 in a jet belonging to Pastor Ayo Ortisejafor, president of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).
Rep Abdurrahman Kawu Sumaila (APC, Kano), who moved the motion, urged that the Defence and Aviation committees be mandated to conduct an investigation. He said if action was not taken on this “national embarrassment, the situation may degenerate and overheat the polity,” as well as dent the image of Nigeria.
But Deputy Speaker Ihedioha said the matter was a “national security issue” and therefore would not be discussed. He called a voice vote on whether the motion should be allowed, and the decision was a no.
This angered All Progressives Congress lawmakers and some of their Peoples Democratic Party colleagues, who then staged a walk out.
Later, the protesting lawmakers addressed journalists, saying Ihedioha’s decision to block the motion was wrong because no rule “allows a presiding officer to disallow a matter already put on notice to the House.”
Minority Whip Samson Osagie spoke on their behalf, saying it was “scandalous and disgraceful” for the Federal Government to be involved in ferrying of such cash to South Africa.