Information available to 247ureports.com through sources close to the Ogun State House of Assembly indicates the Governor of Ogun State, Ibikunle Amosun may have doled out the sum of N425million in bribes to seventeen [17] lawmakers of the State assembly in return for a favorable vote on the bill before the Assembly – requesting permission to obtain a loan of N100billion from the bonds market.
On Tuesday, August 28, 2012, Governor Amosun forwarded a bill to the House seeking approval of members to raise a bond from the capital market. The bill, as gathered, did not specify the exact amount sought by the governor. Speculators within the State Assembly grounds peg the requested amount at N100 billion.
The bill was opposed by members of the State Assembly who then resolved to set up a five-man committee to assess the desirability of the bond and make recommendations. Members of the committee included a former Deputy Speaker, Remmy Hassan, the Minority Leader, Job Akintan, and another lawmaker, Joseph Adegbesan.
According to the source, 17 out of the 26 members of the Ogun House of Assembly were offered the ‘Bond’ bribe. The money was shared by Hon. Remmy Hassan on behalf of Gov Amosun. In all, each of the 17 members is to receive N25million. Out of the 25m, N10m was to be paid before the vote while the balance was promised to be paid after the successful passage of the Bill. The Ogun State Assembly is expected to vote on the bill today, September 20, 2012.
It will be recalled that Gov. Amosun had condemned the move by the immediate past administration of Otunba Gbenga Daniel to raise bond to finance some capital projects in the state. Amosun, who described the last government’s bond bid as “bond of bondage,” had vowed not to borrow from the bond market.
