The Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, has threatened that the Nigerian Senate will henceforth take legal actions against those taking desperate actions to blight the integrity of the upper chambers of the National Assembly with spurious and unfounded allegations.
Bamidele said the Senate remains a highbrow federal government’s institution that serves as a symbol of unity and sovereignty of the Nigerian State, saying any attempt to put such institution into public opprobrium will be resisted through extant laws and other legal instrumentalities.
The Senator representing Ekiti Central Senatorial District, warned those hiding under fictitious groups to deride the image of the Senate to be wary of their actions, warning that the full weight of the law shall be deployed to punish them for their unconscionable and morally reprehensible actions.
Senator Bamidele said this in a statement made available to journalists in Ado Ekiti, on Friday, through the Directorate, Media and Public Affairs, Office of the Senate Leader.
The Senate Leader, said this in response to a petition supposedly addressed to Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN) against him, claiming that he was trying to muzzle the leadership of the Rural Electrification Agency to do his bidding in terms of contract award.
The petition, signed by Convener, Public Procurement Transparency Group, David Udoh, accused Senator Bamidele of intimidating and pressurising Chief Executive Officer, Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Mr. Abba Abubakar Aliyu to award contracts to some companies linked to him contrary to the Public Procurement Act, 2007.
Describing the accusation as unfounded and spurious, Bamidele urged the public to discountenance such odious action of the reactionary elements, who were out to taint his unbruised records and towering personality as a public servant.
Bamidele said: “We have noticed with grave concerns diverse vicious attempts to pitch the public against the Senate Leader, its leadership and that National Assembly at large.
“The latest of such attempts was a petition supposedly addressed to Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN) against the Leader of the Senate, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, CON.
“The petition, signed by Convener, Public Procurement Transparency Group, David Udoh, accused Senator Bamidele of intimidating and pressurising Chief Executive Officer, Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Mr. Abba Abubakar Aliyu to award contracts to some companies linked to him contrary to the Public Procurement Act, 2007. This allegation is not only baseless, but also without any evidence in support of its claims
“Already, REA has issued a statement, disputing all these vicious claims. Specifically, its management noted that it was never under any pressure “to compromise the integrity of its procurement process. Rather, it always upholds transparency, fairness, and due process in all its activities, including procurement.”
“We have endured enough all sorts of cheap blackmail by faceless groups and individuals using some bloggers and social media to feed the unsuspecting public with falsehoods and fallacies capable of causing further damage not just to the image of the National Assembly, but also to the public perception of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, especially among comity of nations”.
Describing the group as acting under fictitious claims, Senator Bamidele posited that the group has no record with the Corporate Affairs Commission, which signposted that it was a hireling and purveyor for blackmail.
“Our preliminary background checks reveal that the Public Procurement Transparency Group has no record with the Corporate Affairs Commission; its Convener, David Udoh, faceless and his phone contact is practically inactive and non-functional. Further checks showed that this faceless group never submitted any petition to ICPC. Nevertheless, its sole aim was to use the social media to blackmail Senator Bamidele
“Nigeria is a federation of 36 states and Federal Capital Territory governed by the Constitution, Acts of National Assembly and judicial precedents. Henceforth, we shall no more treat cases of cheap blackmail against the Senate, its leadership and the National Assembly lightly. But we shall treat such infractions within the confine of extant laws and whoever found guilty in the process shall face the full wrath of the laws”.