An N2.4 million bribery scam is rocking the Delta State House of
Assembly. SaharaReporters learned that the Speaker, Monday Igbuya, and
other members of the State House of Assembly allegedly collected
N200,000 bribes from the twelve commissioner nominees forwarded by
Governor Ifeanyi Okowa for “screening.”
Confiding in a SaharaReporters correspondent, a senior management staff person of the State’s House of Assembly who did not want to be named disclosed that one of the commissioner nominees told him in confidence how the twelve nominees’ arms were twisted to pay N200,000 each. The ultimatum was that without the N200,000 none of them would be cleared by the lawmakers.
However, the source said, “If you were around during their screening on the floor of the House, you would have noticed that all the nominees were only told to take a bow” and to go.
An aide to one of the commissioners who pleaded anonymity confided in SaharaReporters that the money was definitively given to the lawmaker for the screening and clearance, but he contested the exact amount.
According to the aide, "The Speaker and a few other members of the house tasked the twelve commissioner nominees to pay N200,000 each and [said] refusal to oblige to the demands will make them losing the position.” However, the aide then said that the commissioner nominees were made to pay N100,000 instead.
Yet “what transpired in the house cannot be considered as screening and clearance of commissioner nominees," the aide stated.
Condemning this development, one of the House members said that a situation where bribes must be given before discharging one’s legitimate duties is wrong.
"It is a bad signal. These are the people lawmakers are supposed to carry oversight function on. So, how would they respect the House and respect us when we have cheapened ourselves before them? We are a House of 29 members, so how much would each member get from [the] peanuts paid by the 12 commissioner nominees.” He lamented that the house could “bring itself so low.”
Source: SR
Confiding in a SaharaReporters correspondent, a senior management staff person of the State’s House of Assembly who did not want to be named disclosed that one of the commissioner nominees told him in confidence how the twelve nominees’ arms were twisted to pay N200,000 each. The ultimatum was that without the N200,000 none of them would be cleared by the lawmakers.
However, the source said, “If you were around during their screening on the floor of the House, you would have noticed that all the nominees were only told to take a bow” and to go.
An aide to one of the commissioners who pleaded anonymity confided in SaharaReporters that the money was definitively given to the lawmaker for the screening and clearance, but he contested the exact amount.
According to the aide, "The Speaker and a few other members of the house tasked the twelve commissioner nominees to pay N200,000 each and [said] refusal to oblige to the demands will make them losing the position.” However, the aide then said that the commissioner nominees were made to pay N100,000 instead.
Yet “what transpired in the house cannot be considered as screening and clearance of commissioner nominees," the aide stated.
Condemning this development, one of the House members said that a situation where bribes must be given before discharging one’s legitimate duties is wrong.
"It is a bad signal. These are the people lawmakers are supposed to carry oversight function on. So, how would they respect the House and respect us when we have cheapened ourselves before them? We are a House of 29 members, so how much would each member get from [the] peanuts paid by the 12 commissioner nominees.” He lamented that the house could “bring itself so low.”
Source: SR
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