News - PRONACO laments handling of Otedola-Lawan scam

[TGD]

 THE advocacy organ of the Pro-National Conference (PRONACO), Citizens Advocacy Group (CAG), has threatened to mobilise Nigerians against any attempt by the Federal Government to dump the report of the Farouk Lawan-led Committee on Fuel Subsidy Scam on account of the bribery allegation by Mr. Femi Otedola against the panel.

Commenting on the bribery saga Wednesday in Lagos, PRONACO spokesperson, Olawale Okunniyi, said: "As a matter of fact, both the alleged bribe giver (Otedola) and the alleged taker (Lawan) are culpable under the Nigerian law and international convention."

While decrying what he perceived as a ploy to absolve Otedola of guilt, PRONACO urged the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), to immediately commence prosecution of the business mogul for admitting to have offered the said bribe to Lawan.

The group described as unfortunate a situation where after the bribery scam had been made known to government and the principal characters have admitted their involvement in the scandal, the attorney-general and the police have failed to institute charges against them to serve as deterrent to would-be bribe givers and takers.

"What we observed here is that having deliberately rubbished the indicting report of the House of Representatives on the fuel subsidy scam, the Federal Government is now trying to sweep the prosecution of the actors under the carpet, thereby portraying the Nigerian Government as promoting and condoning fraud," he said.

"We also suspect that the government seems to be more concerned about shielding Otedola, its ally, in this scandal, otherwise a strong legal action to bring the alleged accused to trial before a competent court of law should have been taken."

Okunniyi, who said the police authorities had presented a copy of their investigation on the alleged bribery scam to the attorney-general and had indeed drafted charges for modification, lamented that the attorney-general has failed to commence prosecution of the duo without a public explanation on why it has taken so long to do so.

According to PRONACO, the situation has brought the country into disrepute in the international community. The group added: "Therefore, any attempt by government to be unjust in this matter will be tabled before the central committee of the National Action Coalition (NAC) and met with heavy resistance, as it is the responsibility of government to extinct corruption and fraud in the Nigerian body polity.

"The Federal Government must end the tradition of fraud and cover-up of corruption involving its allies and high profile Nigerians and must take the fight against corruption and bribery seriously before they destroy everybody."



The Guardian