Report cases of bribery and extortion by security agency/public officials by victims or witnesses simply by using mobile phones to call, sending text messages, emails or make direct entries on the website, including upload of videos or photographs which provide evidences of such incidences.
MANY Nigerians were tranquillized when the global anti-corruption
watchdog announced that our country is one of the 35th most corrupt
countries in the world. To some people, the situation in the country is
worse than what was reflected in the latest corruption perception table.
Most people believe that in Nigeria, all kinds of evil act corrupt act
is obtainable in the country life wire.
Corruption is the major hindrance, a big obstacle to the
development across all sectors in Nigeria, this is because virtually all
sectors in the country are all corrupt. It has eaten deep into the life
wire of the country and that is why it seems as nothing is been done
about it.
Nigerian government, police, civil service and businesses
are plagued by bribery, extortion and other forms of corruption. While
many points to a failure of leadership; corruption is largely a product
of an economy fueled almost exclusively by petroleum with no vested
interest in developing Nigeria’s infrastructure and manufacturing
sectors. The wealthy simply profit from oil while the country wallows
deeper into economic chaos.
Nigeria’s roads are dominated by check points where law
enforcement agents often demand that their palms be greased before
travelling.
They’ve turned check points into bribe collecting points and
that is more reason terrorists, kidnappers and other hoodlums are not
caught in most of their activities. What do you expect when a security
man whose attention supposed to be on the individuals that look
suspicious is focused on the drivers hand hoping to get N20.
Nigeria as a nation is falling deeper into corruption day by
day, can you tell me any sector in this country that is free from
bribery and corruption? I doubt because even in football, players most
times bribed coaches for them to play for the next game.
Moving aside entirely to the education sector where most
times students who are not qualified at the time of the examination are
the ones that are referred to as undergraduates. There have been
complaints that the Nigerian education sector is poor; why won’t it be,
when money is being collected to admit students into higher institution.
Have you asked yourself why students mostly score higher in Jamb and
when it comes to PUME, reverse is the case; that will show the level of
corruption, bribery and exam malpractice in education system. Very soon
in Nigeria the poor who cannot afford to pay up to #150,000, cannot be
admitted into the university.
The main issue about corruption in Nigeria does not lie with
our government or civil service alone, citizens are also involved in
this act.
An electorate sells his/her vote for just a thousand naira
that not is even enough for air time subscription as a result of
poverty.
The focal point about corruption in Nigeria to a large
extent lies right in Aso rock with those that wine and dine with the
people in the floor of power both at the national and the state to local
level. Embezzling public fund is no more news in the country, it has
become a normal daily activities. In this country, abnormality has
become normality and that is more reason why all efforts to curtail
corruption in the country has become negative.
The country has become so corrupt that the public servants
have totally lost trust in the government. The public servants hardly
believe anything that the government says which are yet to be
implemented. This is because the leadership in the country so far has
been treading and is still treading on the ground of promise and fail.
ASUU embarked on strike for a period of 6months last year,
even when the government promised to meet up with their demands. There
seemed to be no credibility in what government dishes out to the public
anymore.
Nowadays we hear such comments likes “ I pray o” whenever
it’s heard that the government has embarked on one project or another,
the citizens have doubts about that.
It would be difficult to identify any Nigerian leader who
can be said to be successful in fulfilling his promises to the country.
No doubt, the country is in this current depressing and distasteful
state because her leaders at various levels of government over the
years have perfected the art of saying something and to an extent doing
another almost at the same time. Even when any effort or whatsoever are
made, it is, almost always contrary to the promise made.
Human right watch estimated that the epidemic nature of
corruption led to the loss of $380bn worth of revenue between 1999 and
2007in Nigeria. Then about 47 percent of companies that do business in
Nigeria till date are Said to be experts to make facilitation payments
to public officials in order to get them to do their work. To the
observers, the parliament and the political parties are the most corrupt
institutions; in line with this, I believe that corruption within the
bureaucracy is equally as virulent, commenting on this issue in his
article “are we really winning the war Against corruption” Uche Igwe
said. That , “a major chunk of public sector corruption happens within
the Nigerian civil service.
The civil service is meant to be the bureaucracy that
services the policy implementation process, but today it has been turned
into an arena of looting. Corruption in the civil service is the rule
rather than the exception, Uch Igwee added. There is this popular saying
“wait for your turn” that is to say that one has to patiently wait till
he/she gets to higher position and only then and only then can he join
the club of bribe collectors and money embezzlers. But this is what
happens in a state where abnormality has become normality.
Most persons enter offices with goodwill but after some
time, they begin to understand that one cannot bite more than he can
chew. Even at the house of assembly and others at the local level,
anyone who fights against corruption in his office stands a risk of
being impeached. In most cases, they set the person up. Nigerian offices
are dens of lions where three things are involved; it’s either you join
the club, resign or face allegation that could lead to your
impeachment, that is the situation of things in Nigerian politics and
other sectors in the country.
The country has presented a bad image of herself in the eyes
of other countries. Nigerians in other countries of the world are often
suspected because of the evil deeds that those in power are not willing
and ready to stop.
So far, the main avenue for war against corruption in
Nigeria is through .the establishment of anti-corruption agencies. There
are multiple versions of these agencies, each pursuing after complex,
competing, divergent, and often overlapping mandate in Nigeria. All well
and good but what has been their impact? Some of those agencies have
turned out to be the biggest channels for corruption themselves. Some of
these agencies when they apprehend someone, instead of charging the
person to court, their pocket would be charged with money and that’s the
end of such cases.
The anti-corruption agencies have failed. Money controls
their minds, even those who wish to fight corruption, their ‘oga at the
top’ would suppress their efforts.
Lest we forget, in time past, agricultural and economic
indices have largely dictated a country’s growth and increases in
complexity and development.
Today, these variables are not all together rendered
negligible, but they can hardly match the autocratic nature of influence
handled by the political factors within the political sector that weave
the fabric of country’s internal development and external relationships
with foreign nations. That is why Nigerians have lost all available
faith in the possibility of a legitimately elected representative of the
people as it concerns the elective process for change of government.
The unending corruption which has eaten deep into the
fabrics of our system has helped no one either as both the government
and the governed seemed to have been carried away by the turbulent sea
of western dependency.
Nigeria is wallowing in corruption, even the coming
generation now subconsciously prepare fertile ground for the seed of
corruptive influences like grafting, misappropriation and illicit
propensity of for wealth.
It is in Nigeria we have, though in small number, members of
the so called ‘CABAL’ who seems to be in absolute control of the
electoral process, which according to concerned Nigerian citizens has
ironically become ‘selection’ as opposed to an election process. It is
regrettable to realize that the dreams and counsel of our founding
elders has been forsaken for many years to embrace corruption and the
profit of greed. Our national anthem reads “arise o compatriots”, how
many of our leaders are patriots, you as an individual, how patriotic
are you?Feigning ignorance to this prevalent attitude of our rulers and
the “chop as I chop” concept a present part and reality of the Nigerian
government administration. Should Nigerians resign to a fate of failure
and hopelessness without repair? Answer to this question is cryptic for
it would only lead to more questions.
However, there is a plausible possibility for a purge of
all impurities from our present polity even though a change has never
been a welcome verb for discussion where poorer and politics are
concerned. But since, “nature is change is nature, then nature is the
part of existence we can affect or effect”. The limited success in the
war against corruption has bred deep cynicism among the Nigerian people
capable of subverting trust in a democratic system of government.
Conclusively, in a bid to curtail corruption in Nigeria, an
effective anti-corruption agency must command public respect, be
credible, transparent accountable, and fearless. It must mobilize the
necessary political will as well as enjoy considerable operational
independence. Since the war against corruption formally resumed in
Nigeria for years, the verdict is that it has been less than effective.
Our leaders should restore purity and sanity into the system and reduce
the rate at which they perpetrate evil in the country and other sector
officials should as well refine and redefine their minds of corruption
and bribery.
The order banning the setting up of Police roadblocks nationwide is still strictly in force, the Acting Inspector-General of Police, Suleiman Abba, has said.
In a statement Sunday, Force Spokesperson, Emmanuel Ojukwu, said the police boss has sent a directive to all commands and formations of the Force nationwide asking them to immediately dismantle “all semblances of Police roadblocks and permanent checkpoints reportedly re-emerging in some parts of the country, especially in the South-East, South-South and South-West geo-political zones of Nigeria”. Police road blockPolice road block
Mr. Ojukwu further quoted Mr. Abba as describing the reemergence of roadblocks as a serious violation of subsisting order on the matter and threatened severe sanctions on any police commands, formations and personnel who violate the order.
While charging the state Commissioners of Police and Heads of Formations to ensure total compliance with the order, the IGP further ordered extensive visibility patrol and effective surveillance on Nigerian roads.
Meanwhile, as Nigeria joins the rest of the world in marking World Peace Day on September 21, 2014, the Nigeria Police Force has restated its resolve to work assiduously for the enthronement of genuine peace in the nation.
“As peace officers and frontliners in the drive for a peaceful world, the Nigeria Police understands the dislocation and trauma that happen to families, homes, cities and businesses in the event of disturbances,” the Force said in a statement.
The statement added, “In line with the above, the Nigeria Police will train more officers on conflict resolution, mediation and negotiation. Our Family Units and Juvenile Welfare Centres will be reinvigorated to cater for the needs of hurting family members, widows, orphans, displaced persons and the vulnerable. The Police will pay more diligent attention to early warning signs and improve response time to crises and distress calls.
“The Inspector-General of Police, Ag. IGP Suleiman Abba urges all citizens to embrace peace at all times, and to assist law enforcement agents in the preservation and maintenance of peace nationwide.”
The
order banning the setting up of Police roadblocks nationwide is still
strictly in force, the Acting Inspector-General of Police, Suleiman
Abba, has said.
In a statement Sunday, Force Spokesperson, Emmanuel Ojukwu, said the
police boss has sent a directive to all commands and formations of the
Force nationwide asking them to immediately dismantle “all semblances of
Police roadblocks and permanent checkpoints reportedly re-emerging in
some parts of the country, especially in the South-East, South-South and
South-West geo-political zones of Nigeria”. Police road block
Mr. Ojukwu further quoted Mr. Abba as describing the reemergence of
roadblocks as a serious violation of subsisting order on the matter and
threatened severe sanctions on any police commands, formations and
personnel who violate the order.
While charging the state Commissioners of Police and Heads of
Formations to ensure total compliance with the order, the IGP further
ordered extensive visibility patrol and effective surveillance on
Nigerian roads.
Meanwhile, as Nigeria joins the rest of the world in marking World
Peace Day on September 21, 2014, the Nigeria Police Force has restated
its resolve to work assiduously for the enthronement of genuine peace in
the nation.
“As peace officers and frontliners in the drive for a peaceful world,
the Nigeria Police understands the dislocation and trauma that happen
to families, homes, cities and businesses in the event of disturbances,”
the Force said in a statement.
The statement added, “In line with the above, the Nigeria Police will
train more officers on conflict resolution, mediation and negotiation.
Our Family Units and Juvenile Welfare Centres will be reinvigorated to
cater for the needs of hurting family members, widows, orphans,
displaced persons and the vulnerable. The Police will pay more diligent
attention to early warning signs and improve response time to crises and
distress calls.
“The Inspector-General of Police, Ag. IGP Suleiman Abba urges all
citizens to embrace peace at all times, and to assist law enforcement
agents in the preservation and maintenance of peace nationwide.”
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Prophet Temitope B. Joshua, head of the Synagogue Church Of All
Nations (SCOAN), Ikotun, Lagos, has been accused of offering bribe to
reporters covering the collapse of his Church’s guest house.
The incident, which occurred September 19, left over 85 persons, mostly South Africans, dead.
A
Nigerian journalist, Nicholas Ibekwe, who made the allegation on
Saturday via social network, Twitter, also provided an audio proof to
back up his claim.
In a series of tweets, he lambasted field staff of media houses, who
collect money while on the job, saying such was against ethics of the
profession.
“Nigerian journalists habitually collects money at
press conferences and events. They call it ‘brown envelop’. I call it
bribe!”, he tweeted.
“And for those asking for prove. I’ve audio proof of TB Joshua telling reporters he’s N50,000 each from them”.
The church management is yet to respond to the allegation.
A row is brewing between Zambia and Dangote Cement, a major employer
in Africa’s second largest copper producer, after a government minister
accused an executive at the local unit of the Nigerian company of
attempting to bribe him.
The dispute appears to be the latest in a string of incidents in
which the southern African nation’s government has resorted to
strong-arm or unorthodox tactics against foreign investors it believes
are circumventing labour laws.
Dangote Industries Zambia (DIZ) has 400 workers building a $400
million dollar cement plant, a staff count that should rise to 2,000
when production starts in November, deputy industry minister Miles Sampa
told Reuters.
Aliko Dangote: Cement company in bribery row
During a tour of the plant in Ndola, 300 km (188 miles) north of the
capital Lusaka, labour minister Fackson Shamenda said a Nigerian
executive seconded to the Zambian unit tried to bribe him at a hotel a
week ago.
The company described the allegations them as “malicious misinformation”.
“For the record, DIZ categorically deny any claims of corruption and
bribery and reserve our rights on this matter,” it said in a statement.
Shamenda did not specify what was offered by the executive and said
he rejected it because he had critical labour issues to sort out with
the company – owned by Nigerian Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man –
and did not want to be compromised.
“He told me that it was a tradition in their culture to give someone a
token of appreciation. Maybe his idea was that I turn a blind eye to
what is happening at Dangote,” Shamenda said, according to local media
reports.
Shamenda also said DIZ should offer workers at the company permanent employment and allow them to join unions.
“There is no union and according to the reports I have received those
who have attempted to join unions have had their contracts terminated,”
Shamenda told Reuters on Tuesday.
“I have asked the labour commissioner to investigate and tell me all
the categories of employees because the reports we have received
indicate there are no permanent employees.”
DIZ said in its statement that Shamenda had made four surprise visits
to the cement plant in the last four months, prompting the company to
complain about his conduct as it felt that the minister was deliberately
looking for wrongdoing.
“DIZ was beginning to feel harassed and unwelcome in Zambia and
immediately brought this to the attention of the Ministry of Commerce,
Trade and Industry,” it said in the statement.
A year ago, Zambia revoked the work permit of the chief executive of
Konkola Copper Mines, owned by London-listed Vedanta Resources, and
threatened to rip up its mining licence when the firm announced plans to
lay off 1,500 workers
A non-governmental group called
Anambra Watch has sent a petition to Nigeria’s Chief Justice, Aloma
Miriam Mukthar, accusing Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State of
using a front to offer bribes to Supreme Court justices who will be
determining several appeals arising from the November 16, 2013
governorship election. The petition, which was signed by
Chukwuka Okoye and Peter Nwafor, alleged that the state governor was
trying to pervert the course of justice. The petitioners pointed fingers
at Alphonsus Uba Igbeke as the agent of the governor in the scheme to
bribe justices. According to them, Mr. Igbeke, popularly known as
Ubanese, had been paying visits to the residences of the various
justices who have been named as members of a panel to hear appeals filed
against Governor Obiano by candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC). The appellants are praying
the apex court to rule that INEC’s declaration of Mr. Obiano of the All
Peoples Grand Alliance (APGA) as the duly elected governor of Anambra
State was flawed and should be nullified. Both the governor and Ubanese
are from the same area.
The Supreme Court has set aside Tuesday September 16 to hear the
election appeals. However, the petitioners informed CJ Mukthar that
Governor Obiano has recruited Mr. Igbeke to meet with some of the
Supreme Court justices on the panel and offer them huge sums in foreign
currencies.
The petitioners wrote: “Our investigations show that Chief Igbeke had
visited three of the justices in their respective official residence in
the last one week. Your lordship may wish to call for security reports
from the operatives of Department of State Security Services (DSS) who
monitor daily activities and movements at the homes of the justices. As your lordship will recall,
Chief Igbeke is not new in the act of perverting the cause of justice.
It was Igbeke who bribed some clerks working in the chambers of Justice
Galadima who leaked the judgment in the appeal involving Senator Margery
Okadigbo and Uba Igbeke. The judgment was posted in the Internet before
its delivery after Chief Igbeke failed in his bid to bribe all the
justices in the panel to give judgment in his favor. The aim was to
blackmail the justices who refused to be compromised. The Federal
Judicial Service Commission while dismissing the staff of the Supreme
Court and Court of Appeal who aided Chief Igbeke in the act of infamy
recommended that Chief Igbeke himself be prosecuted by the
Attorney-General of the Federation for masterminding the leakage of the
judgment. So with this notoriety it beats our imagination why some of
the justices of the highest court in the land would be disposed to
receiving such a character in their official residence or elsewhere to
discuss cases coming up before them.”
The panel of seven justices constituted to hear the appeals against
Mr. Obiano’s election is headed by Justice Mahmud Mohammed, the second
most senior justice after the CJ. Noting that President Goodluck
Jonathan is interested in the victory of Governor Obiano, the
petitioners alleged that Justice Mohammed would go out of his way to
please the president in order to be nominated as the next Chief Justice.
The Supreme Court panel is expected to rule on the following issues:
1. Whether Mr. Obiano truly engaged in acts of multiple
registrations as a voter contrary to the provisions of the Electoral Act
which forbids such acts,
2. Whether the alleged multiple registrations if proven are enough to
disqualify Obiano from contesting the Governorship of Anambra State,
3. In the light of several conflicting judgments relied upon, whether
Mr. Obiano or Chike Obidigbo was the authentic governorship candidate
of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the election,
4. Whether the voters register used in the conduct of Anambra State
governorship election, which INEC admitted it revised and updated ‘to
correct errors’ less than three days to the holding of the election, is a
valid voter’s register when the Electoral Act expressly prohibited such
action,
5. Whether the postponement and holding of election in Obosi ward in
Idemili North local government area on a Sunday was not calculated to
disenfranchise over 51,230 voters in that Christian populated area and a
presumed stronghold of All Progressives Congress (APC) and its
candidate, Chris Ngige,
6. Whether the Supplementary election held by INEC in 16 local
government areas of Anambra State on the 30th of November 2013 after it
had declared the entire election as “inconclusive” is valid in law,
7. Whether the failure of entire staff of INEC that conducted the
election to swear to the mandatory oath of neutrality before the High
Court registry was enough to nullify the entire election,
8. Whether the disenfranchisement of hundreds of thousands of voters
in Anambra including the PDP governorship candidate, Mr. Tony Nwoye, his
parents, siblings and relations did not amount to a substantial
violation of the Electoral Act that should result in the outright
nullification of the election,
9. Whether the respondents’ brief of argument filed out of time by
lawyers to Mr. Obiano and APGA respectively will be countenanced in the
determination of the appeals in the absence of any application by them
to regularize their papers.
10. Whether the Election Petition Tribunal and Court of Appeal had
the jurisdiction to entertain allegations of multiple possession of
voter’s card as a ground for disqualification of a candidate under the
constitution. The petitioners commended Justice
Aloma Mukthar for her “uncommon work” to “sanitize the judicial
process, combat judicial corruption and enthrone fairness in the
judiciary,” adding that her efforts had yielded fruit with the firing of
“bad eggs in the judiciary from the Federal and State High Courts.”
They regretted that some people in the society were “bent on sabotaging
these noble efforts, thus the pressing need for eternal vigilance on the
part of all stakeholders.”
In its petition, Anambra Watch requested “the immediate
reconstitution of the panel,” urging the CJN to personally head a new
panel. Justice Mohammed may be elevated
to the position of CJN once the incumbent retires mid-November this
year. A new CJN is appointed by the Nigerian President on the
recommendation of National Judicial Council, but subject to Senate
approval. The other members of the Supreme
Court panel on the Anambra governorship election are Justices
Muntaka-Coomasie, Bode Rhodes-Vivour, Nwali Ngwuta, Kumai Akaas,
Olukayode Ariwoola and Inyang Okoro.
In May 2014, in a case involving Mr. Igbeke and Senator Margery
Okadigbo, a full text of the judgment written by Justice Suleiman
Galadima of the Supreme Court was leaked and published online at least
24 hours before it was delivered. An investigation by the Federal
Judicial Service Commission discovered that Mr. Igbeke and one Collins
Okechukwu had bribed some of the law clerks in the Supreme Court in
order to obtain an advanced copy of the judgment.
The FJSC fired six court clerks implicated in the deal. It also
recommended the immediate prosecution of Mr. Igbeke, but the Nigerian
Attorney-General has yet to act on the recommendation more than a year
later.
A source close to former Governor Peter Obi said that Governor
Obiano’s use of Ubanese to bribe the justices of the apex court is due
to the strained relationship existing between Obiano and his
predecessor, who was his godfather. Governor Obiano and Mr. Obi are no
longer on speaking terms, said the source, adding that the two men fell
out when the current governor began marginalizing his predecessor in
public events. He added that Governor Obi has asked Obiano to refund a
huge sum of more than six billion naira, which the former governor
claimed he spent to install the latter as the governor of Anambra State.
The source said Mr. Obiano had rebuffed the demand, thereby setting the
stage for the current crisis in APGA where at least five APGA members
in the House of Representatives had defected to the ruling Peoples
Democratic Party at the instance of Mr. Peter Obi.
Before the friction between the two men, Mr. Obi had been using his
connection with the Presidency to swing judgments at the Election
Tribunal and the Court of Appeal in favor of Obiano. “Okwute Ndigbo
[Peter Obi’s praise name] has decided that this time around, he should
leave Chief Obiano to cater for himself since Obiano is poking fingers
in his master’s eye,” said the source close to the former governor.
Mr. Obi is expected to announce his formal defection to PDP at a
grand rally where President Goodluck Jonathan would announce his
declaration to contest the 2015 Presidential election. Governor Obiano
had also reportedly made a promise to President Jonathan that he,
Obiano, would be joining the PDP if the Supreme Court grants him
victory. The Supreme Court is expected to
deliberate on the issues and deliver judgment on or before September 25,
2014 when the 60 days allowed by the Constitution to determine the
appeals would elapse. If the appeals succeed, a fresh
governorship election will be held in Anambra State, possibly exclude
Mr. Obiano from participating.
A Milan prosecutor is probing the role of the CEO Claudio Descalzi,
his predecessor and another Eni executive over their role in the Italian
group's 2011 acquisition, in partnership with Shell, of the rights to a
field known as OPL245.
The field has been estimated to contain as much as nine billion barrels of crude oil.
Under the deal, Eni made a payment to the Nigerian government of
$1.09 billion (€844,000) to secure joint ownership of the block along
with Shell, which had previously taken a 40 percent stake and had begun
to develop the field.
Most of the money Eni paid was subsequently passed on to Malabu Oil
and Gas, a company believed to be owned by Chief Dan Etete, a former
Nigerian oil minister.
In an episode that has come to be regarded as emblematic of
Nigeria's problems with corruption, Etete had awarded the rights to the
block to Malabu in 1998, at a time when he was close to Nigeria's
then-military dictator General Sani Abacha.
Eni confirmed that Descalzi, who headed the company's oil division at
the time, had been placed under preliminary investigation by a Milan
prosecutor along with another company executive, the head of exploration
Roberta Casula.
The company said its executives were being probed after a British court
on Tuesday accepted the Milan prosecutor's request to freeze two bank
accounts.
According to Italian daily Corriere della Sera, these were
Anglo-Swiss accounts containing a total of $190 million in the name of
Emeka Obi, a suspected intermediary in the OPL245 deal.
Corriere said the court had accepted the prosecutor's argument that
there was reason to believe the money may have been paid as part of an
attempt to corrupt public officials.
Last year, Obi sued Malabu via Britain's High Court and won an order
that the company pay him $110 million in unpaid fees related to the deal
which brought Eni into OPL245.
Eni insisted the company's action had been beyond reproach.
"The entire payment for the issuance of the license to Eni and Shell
was made uniquely to the Nigerian government," a statement said.
It added: "Eni is cooperating with the Milan prosecutor's office, and
is confident that the correctness of its actions will emerge during the
course of the investigation."
Eni shares were down by nearly one percent in early afternoon trading on Thursday in an otherwise broadly flat market.
Speaker of the Nigerian House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal,
yesterday, directed the ad hoc committee on Petroleum Industry Bill
(PIB) to submit its report within 21 days, BUSINESSDAY reports.
He also directed the clerk of the House to activate the electronic voting system without further delay.
The 23-member ad hoc committee headed by Ishaka Bawa was inaugurated
with a view to fine-tuning the PIB which scaled through second reading.
The House also conducted a regional public hearing as part of efforts to take input of Nigerians on the proposed bill.
While reacting to question on the alleged bribe demanded by the House
before passage of the bill, Leo Ogor, deputy House leader, said, “I am
giving you my assurance vis-à-vis that of the speaker that the PIB will
be passed.
"Touch has been put into that bill and I want to also state that I’m not
aware that anybody is asking anybody for a dime. You don’t need anybody
to give you a dime to do your job.
“Our oath of allegiance is to the constitution of Nigeria, vis-à-vis the
fact that we are lawmakers. So if somebody is going to ask for money
before doing his own job, then that is an aberration. I doubt it
sincerely. I hope it’s not some kind of cheap blackmail.
“But I know very soon that the bill will be passed and it is one bill
that will do the oil sector a great deal of advantage. I can’t believe
that somebody will have a situation whereby you ask for money to deprive
the nation to have such a wonderful Act, which at the end of the day
will open up our economy and which at the end of the day will have
multiplier effects in the whole of the economy.
“So, we are quite worried and ashamed that Nigeria as a leading oil
producing country is into importation of petroleum products. It is very
embarrassing and if such a bill will put a stop to that, create
wonderful job opportunities, why will a lawmaker ask for a dime from
anybody? Except some sort of blackmail is emerging from some corners,”
Ogor submitted.
During a tour of the plant in Ndola, 300 km (188 miles) north of the
capital Lusaka, labour minister Fackson Shamenda said a Nigerian
executive seconded to the Zambian unit tried to bribe him at a hotel a
week ago.