Yar’Adua: Senate Denies Bribery Allegations

AS PRESSURE MOUNTS ON KITCHEN CABINET TO DELIVER PRESIDENT OR LETTER.

The Nigerian Senate has issued a statement denying allegations that its senators have been bribed by the Presidency or persons demanding a favourable resolution on President Umaru Yar’Adua’s illness and long absence from the country.

Senate spokesman, Senator Ayogu Eze said the senate could not be compromised saying the allegations were false and a figment of the minds of fifth columnists.

"My attention has been drawn to reports in the media alleging that some unnamed individuals are sending money to the National Assembly with a view to influencing the views of the Senate on the issue of the health of Mr. President"

"This is false, and the figments of the fertile minds of some fifth columnists who think that by discrediting the National Assembly, they will have a field day in the polity"

"The Senate cannot be compromised. Besides, there is no issue to contemplate settling anybody, outside the few individuals who have become accustomed to the culture of being settled on every issue"

Continuing, he said, "The Senate, being a responsible institution, is and will always be guided by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I am aware that our constitution has guaranteed certain freedoms, including the information to hold and impart information. But in exercise of these freedoms, we must have respect for other people’s freedom"

"I challenge therefore anybody with information about distribution of money to members of the National Assembly to name the persons and the circumstances where this money exchanged hands, or forever remain silent"

"I wish to warn all stakeholders not to fall for this cheap tactics which could be another way of inducing some people to think in the direction of corrupting the system"

Ayogu said the Senate would meet on Tuesday to deliberate on the President’s health and senators would air their opinions before a decision would be taken based on the views of the majority.

"We shall be guided by the constitution in whatever we shall do or say. I urge Nigerians to be patient and shun self-seeking people who will always exploit every situation for their selfish gains. I have no doubt that some of the views in the papers were sponsored to cause panic and thereby stampede some people to seek out people for settlement," he added.

There have been reports in the political arena that millions of dollars have been spent by President Yar’Adua’s die-hard loyalists to bribe senators and their counterparts in the House of Representatives to frustrate moves to either compel the President to write the leadership of the National Assembly or impeach him from office.

The Senate is not new to controversies. Its integrity was questioned when former FCT Minister, Mr. Nasir El-Rufai accused some senators namely; Ibrahim Mantu and Jonathan Zwingina, who were top leaders of the Senate during the Adolphus Nwabara leadership of demanding N54 million naira from him to get a confirmation as Minister in the Obasanjo administration.

The Senate and the House of Representatives have removed their leaders in the past due to corruption and misappropriation of funds.

President Yar’Adua has been away from the country for more than 60 days after his evacuation from Abuja to the King Faisal hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on November 23, 2009. His refusal to write the National Assembly to pave way for the Vice President to become acting President has thrown Nigerians into a very big fight.

The Senate’s Tuesday meeting and the order of Justice Dan Abutu on the Executive Council to determine the President’s state of health may have forced the President’s kitchen cabinet to leak words that the President may return to Nigeria this week.