Nine days after the former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Attahiru Jega, accused members of the National Assembly of bribe taking, a serving senator, Kabir Marafa, on Wednesday accused a committee chairman of corruption.
At the consideration of the report of the Committee on Independent National Electoral Commission on the screening of nominees as INEC Resident Electoral Commissioners, Marafa (APC, Zamfara State) who chairs the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), accused his colleague, Suleiman Nazif (APC, Bauchi State) of corruption. The session was aired on live television.
This followed the committee’s rejection of Ahmed Bello Mahmud as Resident Electoral Commissioner.
Presenting his report, the committee chairman, Nazif however, confirmed the nomination of Monday Tom (Akwa Ibom), Attahiru Madami (Niger) as RECs, even as Festus Okoye was confirmed as National Commissioner for South East.
Immediately after his presentation, Marafa accused the Governor of his state, Abdul’aziz Yari of hypocrisy for opposing the nomination of Mahmud for the third consecutive time on the grounds that he hails from Kebbi State.
“The committee has been compromised. And I have evidence,” Marafa alleged. Another lawmaker, James Manager (PDP, Delta State) also threw his weight behind his submission.
While saying that appointees of the governor like his Chief of Staff and Head of Service hail from Oyo and Sokoto States respectively, the Zamfara lawmaker explained that Mahmud was born and raised in Zamfara State.
Efforts by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki who presided over the session; his deputy Ike Ekweremadu and Deputy Senate Leader, Bala Ibn Na’Allah to withdraw the statement and apologise proved abortive.
“I can withdraw (my statement) but I won’t apologise. And you cannot rule me out of order. It is not right. But the petition has no affidavit,” Marafa said after Saraki threatened to refer the matter to the Senate Committee on Ethics for investigation.
But when Saraki put the question to voice vote, senators rejected the aspect of the report that recommended the rejection of Mahmud. This implies that his confirmation was accepted by the upper legislative chamber.
Similarly, the recommendation of the other three nominees was accepted.
After the report was considered, Marafa raised a Point of Order to thank his colleagues and apologised to Nazif.
It would be recalled that at an event to mark the 2018 Democracy Day on May 28, Jega had said chairmen of committees in the National Assembly were more notorious for bribe taking antics.
The former INEC boss told the gathering that included President Muhammadu Buhari; Saraki; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara; and the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, that the federal lawmakers took bribes at will under the pretence of committee work and oversight functions.
“The fight against corruption has to be intensified in all its ramifications. There are many successes achieved which are commendable but the magnitude of the problem on the ground is turning these into drops in the ocean.
“Members of the National Assembly engage in bribe taking when they pursue committee works and oversight and I wonder what is happening with intelligence and investigative responsibilities of security agencies in policing our National Assembly.
“Some chairmen of the committees in the National Assembly have become notorious on this issue of demanding bribes with impunity,” the University Don had said.
OWEDE AGBAJILEKE, Abuja
