A Civil Society organisation, Citizens Action to Take Back Nigeria (CATBAN) has demanded the immediate resignation of the Senate President Dr Bukola Saraki, Speaker House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara and their deputies over their alleged involvement in a financial theft to the tune of N630 million through the criminal use of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA).
The group had alleged that the National Assembly leaders used FCDA as a front under the guise of renting, renovation and furnishing of “fictitious official residences.”
The NASS leaders through their spokesmen had, however, on Tuesday, denied the allegations.
But while presenting to the media at a press conference on Wednesday in Abuja, some of the private company account numbers used to allegedly collected the fund from the FCDA, the co-convener of the group, Comrade Ibrahim Garba Wala, said his group is ready to present more evidences to the security agencies to investigate the alleged scam.
Some of the account details revealed include:
GOGETIT INVESTMENT LIMITED:
Account Number: 1013452206
Bank: Zenith Bank
Account Signatory: Orkuma Hembe
(Orkuma Hembe is brother to Hon. Herman Hembe, Chairman of the Federal Capital Territory Committee of the House of Representatives)
LEGENDARK CONSULT LIMITED
Account Numbers: 0212119991, 0216710224
Bank: Guaranty Trust Bank
Account Signatory: Akpoti Felix Otaru
(Felix Akpoti is brother to Natasha Akpoti, and they own Builders Hub)
PITCH GLOBAL SERVICES
Accounts: Domiciled in First Bank & Skye Bank
Account Signatory: Harrison Onyekachi Ogu
Wala also threatened that if members of the fail to commence impeachment process against their principals “we will mobilize Nigerians to occupy National Assembly and turn it into citizens square.”
He said: “We have in our possession all the financial records for the transactions, including how the monies were paid into the account, and have made them available to the security agencies for immediate action to ensure everyone involved in this scam is apprehended and made to face justice.
“Using precedents, if late Sen Chiba Okadigbo and Principal Officers during his tenure could be impeached for involvement in N155 million controversial project, then Sen Saraki, Hon Dogara and all Principal Officers of the 8th National Assembly should be impeached immediately for criminally diverting N630 million in this controversial rent scam.
“Failure to do that simply means all our elected legislators are stooges who have no say in law making and have no right to be in the National Assembly and rather should all be recalled by their constituencies.
“Finally, we demand an immediate refunds of our taxpayers money stolen by these principal officers, and subsequently call on the Nigeria Police and all relevant agencies to wade into the situation and ensure that justice is served,” the group said.
Speaking further, the group therefore warned: “Let it be known that, should members of the National Assembly remain docile and fail to take appropriate action against these Principal Officers, CATBAN will turn the National Assembly Complex into a Citizens Square, where decisions for severe political sanctions against all elected federal lawmakers currently serving under this dispensation will be made.”
While giving more clarifications on the rent scandal and what they described as uncoordinated responses and deliberate misrepresentation of facts aimed at throwing the incident under the carpet, the group promised to furnish Nigerians with more facts.
“We want to shed more light on these criminal activities and also prove to Nigerians that what we have at the helm of affairs of our legislature are nothing but pathological liars and individuals who have no moral responsibility whatsoever in being at the helm of affairs of our legislature.
“The monetization policy as stipulated in the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) Act does not exempt the Principal Officers of the National Assembly. This is the singular reason former Principal Officers like Sen. David Mark under his tenure and Hon. Aminu Tambuwal were allowed to own their residential accommodation provided by the Assembly.
“What the accused persons have put forward through their aides are sad unfortunate lies which demands utmost condemnation from Nigerian. That something is said over and over again does not make it the truth.
“The National Assembly is an independent arm of government that for a long time now has enjoyed autonomy. The 8th Assembly has since inception collected N150 billion and N120 billion as her annual budgets respectively, through First Line Charge.”
