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| Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo |
Ex-President Olusegun
Obasanjo’s letter to the National Assembly over lawmakers’ “reckless spending”
and insensitivity to the country’s economic downturn yesterday generated
ripples.
The
Nation report continues:
The
ex-President received knocks from the House of Representatives whose spokesman
described his correspondence as “a distraction”.
Obasanjo,
in a January 13 letter to Senate President Bukola Saraki and House of
Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara, accused the lawmakers of reckless
spending and abuse of office. He asked them to return to the path of honour.
Obasanjo
also asked the lawmakers to open their financial records for external audit.
The
leadership of the National Assembly acknowledged receipt of the letter and
Saraki, in a “preliminary” response, said the 8th Senate was committed to
transparency and accountability.
The
chairman of the Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Dino
Melaye, accused Obasanjo of introducing corruption into the legislature. He
described his letter as “a misplacement of anger”.
Vowing
not to take up issues with Obasanjo over the letter, the House said it believed
that it was not directed at it but at the 4th and 5th House that operated when
Obasanjo was President between 1999 and 2007.
House
spokesman Abdulrazak Namdas said: “We don’t want to join issues because we see
the letter as a distraction. Moreover, we don’t believe the letter is directed
to this Assembly but to the 4th and 5th Assembly when he was the President.
“I
say this because the subject of the letter is about transparency and for us, we
have keyed into transparency and very open about our activities.”
House
Minority Leader Leo Ogor said buying vehicles for oversight functions is not in
contravention of the constitution.
Obasanjo
criticized the lawmakers’ planned purchase of vehicles for oversight functions
after obtaining car loans.
Ogor
said if the former President and Nigerians do not want oversight functions of
check and balance against the executive, a process of amending the Constitution
should be initiated.
Melaye,
who represents Kogi West, wondered why Obasanjo should mistake the
8th National Assembly as the one that allegedly defrauded him in 2007 by
collecting his money and refusing to actualize what he called his Third Term
agenda.
He
hoped that the letter was not an attempt to cover up and distract attention
from the Halliburton and Siemens corruption allegations.
Melaye
said: “I have tremendous respect for President Olusegun Aremu Okikiola
Obasanjo.
“Elder
statesman, respected Pan- Africanist and committed patriot.
“I
went through the letter written to all Senators and members of the House of
Representatives.
“The
letter I can see is a misplacement of anger. Our leader is mistaking the 8th
National Assembly as the same Senate Assembly that defrauded him in 2007.
“I
appeal to Baba that we are not the
ones please.
“After
nine years of that bribery saga, the first of its kind, I expect forgiveness to
have taken place.
“There
was the case of bribery introduced by the Obasanjo regime in the desperate
attempt to remove Speaker Ghali Umar Na’abba from office then.
“In
fact, there was an open display of that bribery money on the floor of the
House. That government exposed the National Assembly to corruption and easy
money.
“I
hope this is not an attempt to cover up and distract attention from the
Halliburton and Siemens corruption allegations.
“While
I am against corruption anywhere in Nigeria, I will not support accusations
based on anger and vindictiveness.
“The 8th Senate should also
look inward and purge herself of all the deliberate misgivings of the past.
Nigeria must work and we must support the anti-corruption stand of the Buhari Administration.
God bless Nigeria.”
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