A Civil Society organisation, Citizens Action to Take Back Nigeria
(CATBAN) has demanded the immediate resignation of the Senate President Dr
Bukola Saraki, Speaker House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara and
their deputies over their alleged involvement in a financial theft to the
tune of N630 million through the criminal use of the Federal Capital
Development Authority (FCDA).
The group had alleged that the National Assembly leaders used FCDA as a
front under the guise of renting, renovation and furnishing of “fictitious
official residences.”
The NASS leaders through their spokesmen had, however, on Tuesday, denied
the allegations.
But while presenting to the media at a press conference on Wednesday in
Abuja, some of the private company account numbers used to allegedly
collected the fund from the FCDA, the co-convener of the group, Comrade
Ibrahim Garba Wala, said his group is ready to present more evidences to
the security agencies to investigate the alleged scam.
Some of the account details revealed include:
GOGETIT INVESTMENT LIMITED:
Account Number: 1013452206
Bank: Zenith Bank
Account Signatory: Orkuma Hembe
(Orkuma Hembe is brother to Hon. Herman Hembe, Chairman of the Federal
Capital Territory Committee of the House of Representatives)
LEGENDARK CONSULT LIMITED
Account Numbers: 0212119991, 0216710224
Bank: Guaranty Trust Bank
Account Signatory: Akpoti Felix Otaru
(Felix Akpoti is brother to Natasha Akpoti, and they own Builders Hub)
PITCH GLOBAL SERVICES
Accounts: Domiciled in First Bank & Skye Bank
Account Signatory: Harrison Onyekachi Ogu
Wala also threatened that if members of the fail to commence impeachment
process against their principals “we will mobilize Nigerians to occupy
National Assembly and turn it into citizens square.”
He said: “We have in our possession all the financial records for the
transactions, including how the monies were paid into the account, and
have made them available to the security agencies for immediate action to
ensure everyone involved in this scam is apprehended and made to face
justice.
“Using precedents, if late Sen Chiba Okadigbo and Principal Officers
during his tenure could be impeached for involvement in N155 million
controversial project, then Sen Saraki, Hon Dogara and all Principal
Officers of the 8th National Assembly should be impeached immediately for
criminally diverting N630 million in this controversial rent scam.
“Failure to do that simply means all our elected legislators are stooges
who have no say in law making and have no right to be in the National
Assembly and rather should all be recalled by their constituencies.
“Finally, we demand an immediate refunds of our taxpayers money stolen by
these principal officers, and subsequently call on the Nigeria Police and
all relevant agencies to wade into the situation and ensure that justice
is served,” the group said.
Speaking further, the group therefore warned: “Let it be known that,
should members of the National Assembly remain docile and fail to take
appropriate action against these Principal Officers, CATBAN will turn the
National Assembly Complex into a Citizens Square, where decisions for
severe political sanctions against all elected federal lawmakers currently
serving under this dispensation will be made.”
While giving more clarifications on the rent scandal and what they
described as uncoordinated responses and deliberate misrepresentation of
facts aimed at throwing the incident under the carpet, the group promised
to furnish Nigerians with more facts.
“We want to shed more light on these criminal activities and also prove to
Nigerians that what we have at the helm of affairs of our legislature are
nothing but pathological liars and individuals who have no moral
responsibility whatsoever in being at the helm of affairs of our
legislature.
“The monetization policy as stipulated in the Revenue Mobilization
Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) Act does not exempt the Principal
Officers of the National Assembly. This is the singular reason former
Principal Officers like Sen. David Mark under his tenure and Hon. Aminu
Tambuwal were allowed to own their residential accommodation provided by
the Assembly.
“What the accused persons have put forward through their aides are sad
unfortunate lies which demands utmost condemnation from Nigerian. That
something is said over and over again does not make it the truth.
“The National Assembly is an independent arm of government that for a long
time now has enjoyed autonomy. The 8th Assembly has since inception
collected N150 billion and N120 billion as her annual budgets
respectively, through First Line Charge.”