$620,000 Bribe: CLO Rejects Otedola’s Position

The Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) yesterday said that the president of Zenon Petroleum and Gas Ltd., Mr Femi Otedola, should not determine the manner in which the nation’s lawmakers should hear him.

Otedola, on Tuesday demanded a public hearing when he appeared before the House of Representatives’ Ethics and Privileges Committee.

The committee is probing the $620,000 bribe allegation between him and the former chairman of the House Committee on fuel subsidy probe, Mr Farouk Lawan.

Otedola declined to testify in secret, saying he wanted Nigerians to be part of the deliberations.

Addressing newsmen in Lagos, the state chairman of the CLO, Mr Ehi Omokhuale, said that Otedola should not dictate the pace for the committee.

“Despite certain odds, the Nigerian House of Representatives is an institution that must be respected.

“We are not against Otedola’s wishes to be heard in public, but he should not be allowed to dictate to the house,’’ he said.

Omokhuale noted that while the CLO supported a public hearing, it should be at the discretion of the House.

According to him, whether in private or in public, Otedola must respect the nation’s House of Representatives as an institution.

He, however, decried the slow pace of the investigations both by the lawmakers and the anti graft/security agencies that should have taken up the matter.

“A matter of this nature should be swiftly handled. The exchange of words, demands and revelations of so called audio tapes by the media is becoming ridiculous.

“The whole scenario is turning into a comedy and is further affecting the nation’s image negatively’’ he said.

The CLO chairman urged the executive arm of government to wade into the matter with directives that could compel those in charge to take the necessary actions.

“No man is above the law and we must not be seen as placing one man above the law,’’ he said.

Omokhuale called for the immediate suspension of Otedola as a member of the nation’s economic team, pending the conclusion of the issues involving him over his alleged offering of bribe to Lawan.