Hon. Farouk Lawan


Yemi Akinsuyi  and Victor Efeizomor 
The police may have reached a dead end in their investigation into the whereabouts of the $620,000 that the suspended Chairman, House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee on the Monitoring of Fuel Subsidy, Hon. Farouk Lawan, collected from oil magnate, Mr. Femi Otedola.

Lawan, who was at the Force Headquarters Wednesday, insisted that the money was with the Chairman, House Committee on Narcotics and Financial Crimes, Hon. Adams Jagaba, who had rebutted his claim that he wrote a letter in which he informed him (Jagaba) of attempts to bribe the ad hoc committee and attached the money to it.

Sources told THISDAY that given the conflicting claims of Lawan and Jagaba and their insistence that their narration of the event was the truth, the police are planning to bring both of them together to confront each other.

However, notwithstanding the conflicting claims and the growing uneasiness that the bribe-for-clearance scandal could rubbish the report of the ad hoc committee, House Speaker, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, assured the public Wednesday that legislature would ensure that the report is implemented.

One of the sources said that investigation to find out who has the money has also being stalled by the alleged refusal of the State Security Service (SSS) to assist the police with the videotape of Lawan taken while collecting the money from Otedola.

Although the police had written to Jagaba, inviting him to appear at the Force Headquarters to meet the investigators the lawmaker did not show up, but rather wrote and denied either seeing the letter or the money.

“The police are confused by Lawan’s refusal to cooperate and bring the money and they have requested Jagaba to come and confront Lawan so that they can know who is lying between them,” the source said.

Sources said that the Special Task Force, set up to investigate the scandal is considering the next step to take following the ploy by Lawan to cover up the whereabouts of the money and the refusal of other committee members and Jagaba to honour police invitation.

“Investigators are confused and didn’t know what to do because Lawan kept dribbling them about the whereabouts of the money and it seems the STF is intimidated by the calibre of people involved in the matter, ” another source stated.    
 
Efforts to get clarification from police spokesperson, Frank Mba, a Chief Superintendent of Police, proved abortive as he said the police would not comment on the matter while investigation is ongoing.

Tambuwal, in Asaba yesterday, however, said no amount of blackmail or intimidation would make the House to dump the ad hoc panel report.

The speaker, while declaring open the Delta State House of Assembly public lecture to mark the first anniversary of the Fifth Assembly,  said those indicted in the report would be held accountable for their actions.
He assured Nigerians that irrespective of the present diversionary tactics of some people, the House would ensure that the report is implemented.

Tambuwal said it was unfortunate that people would go to any length to make Nigerians lose confidence in the report, he gave the assurance that the House was irrevocably committed to the report.

The speaker who used the occasion to call for cooperation between the legislature and the executive, said it was only through that would Nigerians enjoy the dividends of democracy.

He stressed the need for the three arms of government to cooperate with one another to ensure the wellbeing of the citizens.

Tambuwal also urged the legislature to exercise its function diligently, as the legislature remained the trustee of the people.

He described the functions of the legislature as sensitive because they touched on the fabric of the society just as he implored lawmakers to live above board, ensure probity, transparency and accountability in the discharge of their responsibilities.

Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan,  said in his speech at the occasion that his administration was working harmoniously with the different arms of government in the state to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people.

He explained that the major challenges facing the state were security, human capital development and infrastructural decay, stressing that his administration would do all it could to redress the situation.

Uduaghan  said job creation was one of the programmes his administration was using to solve  the challenges of kidnapping and other crimes  facing the state.

“We cannot achieve our goal as a state without the legislature; that is why we take the development of our legislature in Delta State seriously. The legislature has been supportive to the state policies. “There has been cooperation between the executive and the legislature. Whatever decisions the legislature and executive take are for the benefit of all Deltans. I assure you that we will continue to work together,” he added.

The host and Speaker of the state legislature, Hon. Victor Ochei, said the lawmakers were collaborating with the executive to ensure the development of the state.

He thanked Uduaghan for his continuous support and interest in the affairs of the House and pledged the lawmakers’ cooperation at all times.