Report Of Alleged Fraud By Mark Rocks Senate

The Guardian, Saturday, October 20, 2007


From Azimazi Momoh Jimoh, Abuja


TEMPERS rose yesterday on the floor of the Senate as members of the Upper House openly expressed dismay over a report alleging that its President, David Mark, was involved in a N3 billion budget fraud.

Shortly after the start of the session, senators frowned over a report credited to an aide of George Akume, to the effect that Mark smuggled the sum of N2.5 billion into the 2007 Supplementary Act for the purpose of furnishing the new Senate building.

The lawmakers were equally unhappy with another report of an allegation that the Senate leadership had paid out N500 million to some television stations that carried out live broadcast of the screening of the last set of ministerial nominees.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation, Iyiola Omisore had cited Order 15 of Senate Standing Rule and argued that his privilege had been violated by the publication.

According to Omisore, it was wrong for a senator to have insinuated that N2.5 billion was smuggled into the supplementary budget when in actual fact, his committee had been thorough in the processing of the budget before being passed by the entire Senate.

He added: "Mr. Senate President, I read in the Daily Trust of Wednesday, October 17, 2007, a story credited to Adoka Adaji who presented himself as a Special Assistant to Senator George Akume, that the Senate President smuggled N2.5 billion into the supplementary budget recently passed by the Senate."

He continued: "By this story, the entire constitutional appropriation process meticulously carried out by the Senate is being discredited, and my privilege as Chairman of the Committee on Appropriation and Senator Iyiola Omisore has been breached. I have been portrayed as incompetent and untrustworthy.

"It may well be that Akume knows something that this Senate does not know. I therefore move that in terms of Order 15, this matter be referred to our Committee on Ethics and Public Petitions", Omisore added.

Seconding the motion, the Deputy Majority Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba (SAN) declared that his privilege had also been trampled upon by the publication.

He said: "My own privileges have also been breached. I was the one detailed to provide the cost of live broadcast for ministerial screening...But that publication alleged that over N500 million was spent on the broadcast. For any Senator to go out and disclose what was discussed in a closed session is irresponsible. He should have confirmed from the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and others whether any money has been paid. Nothing has been paid so far."

Speaking on the matter, Abubakar Danso Sodangi said: "This is no longer an attempt to destroy the image of our Senate President. But the integrity of the entire Senate is at stake here. All our privileges have been breached here."

The Deputy Minority leader, Olorunnimbe Mamora, added another dimension to the debate when he argued that all the publications were aimed at smearing the image of the Senate.

He said: "There is also the allegation that Mark has started furnishing the new wing of the Senate Complex when there has been no budgetary provision for it. I believe this is a smear campaign. We can't continue like this."

Smart Adeyemi in his own argument said: "The content and the authority of the source of the story is not in doubt. Every minute counts for the Senate. We must ensure that this will be the last story published to tarnish the image of the Senate. It is unbecoming for Akume and his group to engage in this. This story is unfair, unbiblical, unislamic and unconstitutional."

But when Dahiru Kuta rose to blame journalists for going to press with the story without confirming from the Senate, Adeyemi interrupted him and queried on top of his voice: "Why are you blaming journalists? Talk about your friend."

And Joy Emodi was more aggressive in her reactions to the reports.

"This is a rumour against all of us and I don't think we should allow this to continue because the National Assembly is the symbol of democracy in this country."

Following a motion sponsored by Omisore, the Upper House ordered fresh investigation into the newspaper report.

After many senators had condemned the report, the Upper House adopted the only prayer of the motion directing its Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions to investigate the report and submit its findings as well as its recommendations to it on Tuesday next week for further action.

Also, last Tuesday, the same Ethics Committee was asked to investigate and identify the source of another media report in which Mark was alleged to have spent some N400 million to renovate his official residence.

The Omar Hambagda-led Ethics Committee however complained of insufficient time to do the investigation and submit its report on Tuesday, but the Senate directed it to proceed first and ask for more time if it had not concluded its work then.