$3m bribery scandal: No secret talks, Otedola tells Reps

… Insists on public hearing • He’s arrogant -Panel chairman

Photo: 

Sun News Publishing

By: 

Iheanacho Nwosu And Chuks Akunna, Abuja

Date: 

Wed, 07/04/2012 - 04:03

The $3 million bribe-for clearance  scandal probe assumed a dramatic turn yesterday as Chairman of Zenon Petroleum and Gas, Mr Femi Otedola  appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Ethics and Privileges  declining to speak in camera.
His reason: The investigative panel chaired by Hon Gambo Musa  asked journalists out of the hall.  Otedola insisted he would only speak about the controversial matter at a public hearing. But the committee said Otedola was stupid and had demonstrated arrogance during their interaction .”He is stupid, he insulted us.  I don’t know what he thinks he is,” the panel chairman said.


Otedola’s invitation was at the instance of the Committee. The panel had threatened on Monday that it would order the arrest of the businessman if he failed to honour its summon. The summon was to grill him over his allegation that Lawan requested and collected $620,000 as part payment of a $3 million bribe to delete the name of his company from the list of oil firms that engaged in subsidy scam.

Lawan was last week drilled by the Ethics and privileges Committee. He accepted collecting money from Otedola but claimed that the money was not a bribe. He also claimed to have informed the Inspector General of Police about the money. 


An indication that Otedola’s meeting with the House Committee would be filled with intriguing drama showed moments after the oil magnate entered the hall. He  arrived alongside his lawyer, Babajide Koku, SAN for the interrogation at 1.45pm with a retinue of aides.

At 2.10 pm, the event kicked off with a brief remark by Musa.  He said the panel would be fair to all the parties. He quickly asked journalists to leave the hall . But soon after the journalists left the hall, an aide of Otedola came out and distributed a statement signed by his boss, protesting the decision to hold the meeting in camera.


The terse statement said “Hon members, this is a matter that has generated a lot of public interest and controversy. “The House of Representatives Committee on the Management of Fuel Subsidy headed by Hon Farouk Lawan held all its sittings in public. “When this issue arose, the House of Representatives Committee on Ethics and Privileges publicly stated that its investigations will be held in public.

“It is therefore surprising and curious that this committee has made a u-turn to hold its investigative sittings in-camera particularly in the light of unfolding events.” “I strongly believe that the interest of the public will not be best served if this investigation is held in camera.

“I have nothing to hide and will only speak on this issue when this investigation is conducted in a very transparent manner and the press as well as the general public are allowed to be present at the sittings of the committee from the beginning of its investigation to its conclusion.”

True to his vow, Otedola declined response to all the questions posed to him by the committee members. He instead preferred to laugh during the meeting which lasted for one hour 25 minutes. Briefing the media after the meeting, Otedola’s lawyer, Koku restated that his principal would not speak in camera. “We told them that we want to speak to Nigerians.   We want the press around but they refused.”

Koku accused Lawan of lying four times on the issue, saying the lawmaker had presented four conflicting accounts on the bribery allegation.

However, the committee chairman expressed disappointment with Otedola for refusing to speak on the allegation despite several pleas from the committee members. Musa said, “We did everything to get him to talk to us but, unfortunately, he was misguided by his lawyers or any other person who advised him not to talk. He said he would only talk when we do it in public,”

The panel chairman continued:  “He  (Otedola) told us that we are hiding something.  That is why we refused to make the hearing public. He told us briefly that all he wanted to say was that Farouk Lawan has lied four times.

“He told us that what was submitted to us was not genuine and we asked how he knew that the documents submitted to us were not genuine.” Musa who was visibly angry, spoke further:  “We asked him other questions but he refused to answer. We asked him to produce what he submitted to SSS and police but he refused again.

“He insulted us. He was just laughing. It was very stupid of him.  I must say that. He came and told us that he is not hungry, that he can do without Nigeria. Are we hungry, he is full of himself.” Musa said that his committee would continue with the investigation despite the cold shoulder from Otedola.