WARNING: This is Version 1 of my old archive, so Photos will NOT work and many links will NOT work. But you can find articles by searching on the Titles. There is a lot of information in this archive. Use the SEARCH BAR at the top right. Prior to December 2012; I was a pro-Christian type of Conservative. I was unaware of the mass of Jewish lies in history, especially the lies regarding WW2 and Hitler. So in here you will find pro-Jewish and pro-Israel material. I was definitely WRONG about the Boeremag and Janusz Walus. They were for real.
Original Post Date: 2009-05-19 Time: 15:00:03 Posted By: Jan
By Sufuyan Ojeifo
Lagos – Sufuyan Ojeifo writes on the disquiet in the Senate over allegation by the Special Adviser to the President on Petroleum, Dr. Emmanuel Egbogah that some senators were compromised by oil companies and labour to frustrate the consideration of the critical Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB). He also reviews the resolution by the Upper House to probe members named in the saga
The eleven senators who were in Ghana from May 7 to 9, this year, to attend a seminar on the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) are not happy that the trip has turned awry for them. They are saddened that their participation in the very educative seminar, to enable them understand the nitty-gritty of the PIB, has now been tarred with the brush of corruption and malfeasance.
The act of disparaging them came from outside the Senate. Special Adviser to the President on Petroleum, Dr. Emmanuel Egbogah, made the allegation that attempts were made by some oil companies and labour to compromise them with a view to frustrating the consideration of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).
But from within the Senate emerged the claim by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Information and Media, Senator Ayogu Eze that the members went to Ghana without the knowledge (read permission) of the Senate Leadership. Eze had said, while briefing Senate Correspondents last Wednesday thus: “I need to say clearly that we have found out, unfortunately and regrettably, that there was an attempt by some private sector organizations to lobby members of the National Assembly on the bill that is before the National Assembly.
“We found out today (last Wednesday) that some members of the National Assembly did go to Ghana, and we are also not very happy with the development because Section 21 of our Standing Rules specifies categorically that before you can travel abroad for whatever reason, you must write to the leadership of the Senate, stating the purpose, stating the duration of your stay and stating the address where you are going to stay.
“The committee or the individuals that are involved never wrote to the leadership, never informed us; so, we are completely in the dark about the people who made the trip, and we are not happy about that and we have referred the matter, based on the motion brought by a member, to the Committee on Ethics and Public Petition.”
Eze had assured Nigerians that the investigations and the public hearing by that committee would be public and that if any senator was found wanting in any way, that senator shall stand alone. But, this position had infuriated the affected members who made it clear at a closed door session of the Senate on Thursday, last week that they wrote to and got the permission of the Senate President, Senator David Mark before embarking on the trip.
Eze, as learnt by THISDAY, apologized to his colleagues at the closed door session; but the apology does not seem to have assuaged the eleven senators who still believe the apology in closed door session cannot mitigate the damage Eze’s claim had done to their reputation in the eyes of well-meaning people. One of them said that Nigerians would now see him as undisciplined for purportedly violating the Senate Standing Rules, which was not the case.
But the Senate President, Senator Mark, had intervened at the closed door session and protected Eze from the offensives launched at him by the angry Senators who were largely drawn from the Committees on Petroleum (Upstream), Petroleum (Downstream) and Gas. Some members, like Akaagerger, who does not belong to any of the committees, was co-opted into the seminar at the instance of his Judiciary Committee because of his knowledge in Petroleum Law.
It was learnt that at the closed door session, there were clear indications that there was nothing to the allegation, but Mark was said to have maintained that since the matter had been referred to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petition, headed by Senator Omar Hambagda, for thorough investigation, the process should be allowed to complete its course so that whatever the outcome is, Nigerians would know that the Senate had followed the legislative due process and protected the integrity of the process.
All eleven senators would have the opportunity of appearing before the committee to tell their side of the story. Egbogah who made the allegation will also appear. In the same vein, Basil Ominyi who is Chairman of the OPTS of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce, which sponsored the seminar, will take his turn before the committee. The essence of the investigation is to validate or invalidate the allegation.
A senator, who was in Ghana, told THISDAY that they were supposed to return to Nigeria last Sunday but because of the shoddy logistic arrangements, they had to return last Saturday. He said that he was given a return ticket to Ghana but that he had to resort to spending his personal money. Asked if he was bribed, he fired back: “it would be preposterous for anybody to offer a bribe to frustrate a bill as critical as the PIB. Besides, it is an executive bill and there is a decision by the Senate to expeditiously pass all critical executive bills sent to it. So, why would anybody offer bribe to kill a bill that will be passed in any case?”
Senators involved in the controversial trip to Ghana for the seminar include Mohammed Mohammed (Bauchi), Mohammed Kabir Jubril (Kaduna), Simeon Ajibola (Kwara), Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia), Emmanuel Paulker (Bayelsa), Nimi Barigha-Amange (Bayelsa), Felix Kolawole Bajomo (Ogun), Dahiru Awaisu Kuta (Niger), Tawar Umbi Wada (Gombe), Joseph Akaagerger (Benue) and Sidi Ali (FCT).
The seminar was packaged by the Senate Committee on Gas under the chairmanship of Senator Osita Bonaventure Izunaso and sponsored by the Oil Producers Trade Session (OPTS) under the chairmanship of Mr. Basil Ominyi whom, some of the senators said, was very unfriendly and, as such, they never got to interact with him outside the seminar sessions. Labour was said to have been represented at the seminar.
The decision to probe the allegation and the involvement of senators was sequel to a point of order raised by Senator George Thompson Sekibo (Rivers East), who had drawn the attention of senators to a newspaper story of May 11, 2009 in which Egbogah was quoted to have said attempts were made to compromise senators to frustrate the consideration and passage of the PIB.
But Mark, who presided over the plenary, had said that there had been a sustained negative campaign against the Senate by the Executive arm of government on the issue of bills and had suggested that the blackmail should not be allowed to continue. He had said that the Upper House would hold a public hearing into the allegation of bribery and had assured that the committee that would investigate the allegation should do it in the public glare.
He had intervened while Senator Lee Maeba was making a contribution on to the debate on the point of order. According to him, “There is going to be a serious public hearing and I think you (Senator Lee Maeba) should reserve detailed comments now until that time, because, when people begin to, at their whims and caprices, label us in the way they want, we should take it seriously. They cannot just blackmail us and get away with it the way they want to do things. Now, we have consistent bad reputation consistently emanating from the same group of Special Assistants to Mr. President in one form or the other.
“We are not going to take it. So, we should take this very seriously and whatever details you have, you should reserve them because eventually this matter is going to be referred to one of the committees for investigation; and, it will be done in the glare of every Nigerian so that if there are problems, we can tell exactly where the problems are.”
Indeed, Maeba had set sail by informing the Senate that he received a correspondence from a group which had interests in the Oil and Gas sector about a month ago, asking for audience with senators of relevant committees about the PIB. According to him, “There is nothing wrong (with such a meeting) because the PIB affects the entire petroleum industry. This industry is a global industry. If a section of the people, who a Bill is supposed to affect, approaches us that they want to brief senators on issues about the Bill, which I also believe we are even rushing, there is nothing wrong.
“I actually discussed with committee members that anybody who had the chance to attend can attend because I did not see any ill-motive in attending. I did not attend because I was not available but they went to Ghana, sir, and when they returned from Ghana, I discussed with distinguished Senator Amange: ‘How was it?’ I have not received official brief from those who went to Ghana. But Senator Amange is even lamenting why he went there because there were even issues of estacode not paid to them and a lot of other issues and they had to return a day before they were supposed to return. I believe if that forms part of the financial compendium of that trip, then the Senators were very disappointed.”
It was at this point that mark stopped him and maintained that every senator, who was part of the Ghana trip, must be given the opportunity to tell his or her side of the story of what happened. He had, however, taken a swipe at the sponsors of the bill for delaying its consideration. He had stated, “As far as I know, the Petroleum Reform industry bill up till now, the minister says they are not prepared to have that bill before us. Even though the bill is before us, they are not prepared for us to take it yet because they are still going through it. So, it is very unfortunate and very unfair for anybody to wake up and begin to accuse the National Assembly of delaying it. We are as anxious, as every other Nigerian, to have that bill passed; and, I think what is happening now is very unfortunate.”
In his contribution to the issue, Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba had said he felt scandalized by the allegation even though, as a member of the Committee on Petroleum, he did not attend the Ghana seminar. Ndoma-Egba had said that that Egbogah should be invited to appear before the Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions to shed more light on the report credited to him. According to him, “I saw the publication and I was utterly scandalized by what I saw because I am a member of the Senate Committee on Petroleum (Upstream) and to the best of my knowledge, no oil company has spoken with me, no oil company has invited me anywhere to eat, drink or do anything. So, I was totally embarrassed and scandalized. I think what is happening (because there has been some persistence and consistence in the last few days) is that certain people somewhere are looking for scapegoats for their inability to do what they are supposed to do; and, where I come from, we do not produce goat not to talk of scapegoat.
“So, I will not be available to be anybody’s scapegoat or his excuse for not doing what they are supposed to do. Mr. President, I think that this Senate must give the Special Adviser to the President the opportunity to either clarify what he means or to substantiate the allegation that he has made because it is a matter that touches on our integrity as an institution and on our integrity as members of this hallowed chambers. I don’t own a bank. I only own my integrity and I guide it very jealously. So, the Special Adviser to the President must be given the opportunity to substantiate those very, very grave allegations or to clarify his position.”
When the Ethics Committee begins its investigation, attention will be focused on the Senate, which members are being buffeted by accusations and allegations of malfeasance. Already, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Power, Senator Nicholas Ugbane, had been arraigned in court for in connection with the N6-billion rural electrification scam. The eleven “Ghanaian” senators will be forced to dance naked before a committee of the Senate very soon. This is the crux of the matter, the basis of their anger, that their innocence at the end of the day does not matter, that they are worried about the attitude of Nigerians who take mere allegations as guilt. No matter, they will pass through the process of inquisition, which begins any moment from now; and, if innocent, time, the healer of pains, may be kind to them.
Original Source: 
Original date published: 18 May 2009
Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/200905190207.html?viewall=1