The Public Interest Lawyers League (PILL), has called for the arrest of the Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha, saying he was the mastermind of the Faruk Lawan/Femi Otedola bribery scandal.
It will be recalled that at the hearing that adopted the subsidy regime committee report, it was Ihedioha who insisted some lawmakers should not query the the decision of the committee to absolve former Accountant General, and Zenon Oil.
PPIL’s President, Abdul Mahmud, who insisted Ihedioha has a case to answer said “For us, our responsibility is to expose the rotten bones and flesh masquerading as leaders of the House of Representatives,”
Mahmud said that his League’s allegations against Ihedioha are set out in its petitions to the Special Task Force; Ethics and Privileges Committee of the House of Representatives; Independent Corrupt Practices Commission; and the Economic and Financial Crime Commission.
According to PILL “No matter the positions of these individuals, it is in our national interest to use this opportunity the bribe saga avails us to cleanse the House and redeem its image for our collective good,” the petition said. “The greatest failing of any August legislative body is for the citizenry not to repose confidence in it.”
The PILL’s petition includes the following conclusions:
• That the bribery was coordinated by Mr. Ihedioha;
• That two members of the House: one member of the Ad Hoc Committee and one non-member, arranged contacts with oil marketers and collected bribes for Mr. Ihedioha;
• That contacts and collections took place at the home of a member of the House who is like Mr. Ihedioha is from Imo State; and
• That Mr. Ihedioha sat at the core bribe-receiving syndicate, with his accomplices (all sitting members of the House) operating from the margins.
Drawing attention to a variety of pertinent questions that need to be asked, PILL also called for, among others:
• An immediate and unfettered inspection of the records of the proceedings of the Ad Hoc Committee and of the House, particularly the records of proceedings of the House on April18;
• An order of production to be served on Channels Television for the audio-visual clip posted on YouTube and titled, ‘$3 million bribery: Farouk Lawan request removal of Otedola’s company from fuel subsidy report’;
• That PILL be allowed to serve interrogatories on the Special Task Force for Mr. Ihedioha and his other accomplices that PILL will name; and
• That Mr. Ihedioha be made to take a polygraph test.