The leader of the Senate, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele has described as false petition accusing him 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.
A statement on Friday by Directorate Media and Public Affairs, Office of the Senate Leader and made available to SINL Nigeria Online, said the allegation is not only baseless, but also without any evidence in support of its claims.
Specifically, the statement said the petition, signed by Convener, Public Procurement Transparency Group, David Udoh, has no record with the Corporate Affairs Commission, adding that “its Convener, faceless and his phone contact is practically inactive and non-functional”.
Continuing, the leader of the Senate noted that already, REA has issued a statement, disputing all the vicious claims. “Specifically, its management noted that it was never under any pressure to compromise the integrity of its procurement process”.
The statement reads in full:
“We have noticed with grave concerns diverse vicious attempts to pitch the public against the Senate, 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.
“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”.
