Solomon Dalung, a former Minister of Sports has revealed that the National Assembly demanded to pay a bribe of N200 million to pass the Budget of the Ministry of Sports when he served undet the Muhammadu Buhari’s adminstration. His refusasl to pay the alleged bribe may have led to his ouster from the adminsitration, the former minister said.
The former minister was among those not re-appointed after the late President Buhari won a reelection, despite Dalung’s pressumed closeness to the former Nigerian leader. At the time, political analsyst had opined that the fromer minsiter from Plateau state fell out of power due to the intrigues among the inner circle of the Buhari’s adminsitration.
Some also adduced his fall from power to his refusal to play ball with members of the National Assembly.
Dalung spoke on Channels TV programme Sunshine Daily on Friday, saying the Committees of Sports in NASS demanded the bribe whenever the officials of the ministry went to the Assembly to defend its budget.
According to him, the lawmakers had insisted that he pay them the bribe so that his ministry budget will be passed, and whenever he resistedm he was told that he could ‘not pretend” because other ministers had paid bribe for their budgets to be passed.
The revelation, according to not a few people watching the nation’s National Assembly, has exposed the deepseated corrution among lawmakers in the country, particularly undet the admnistration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu which has been accused of paying lip service to fighting graft in the country.
The 10th National Assembly has come under trenchatnt criticism from not a few Nigerians, who accused its members of being corrupt, and acting in a manner that suggest that they are lap-dog of the Presidency, which has also been under close scrutiny from the publci for allegedly aiding corruption.
For instance, the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila is currently enmessed in an alleged corruption case invloving Adeniyi Matthew, the embattled Director General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council/Presidential Economic Advisory Council.
Gbajabiamila and Matthew are currently in court to clear their names on allegations bordering on forgery and bribery.
The controversy starterd last year after Matthew was arresetd by the police following a pettion by the president’s chief of staff who accused him of forging his appointment letter, deccribing him as a serial fraudster.
Matthew had fired back accusing Gbajabiamila of sending police after him after a deal between them broke down. The alleged deal, according to Matthew, is that he paid N400 million out of the agreed N600 million to the former Spekaer of the Hosue of Representatives, to secure the appointment, thoruh a proxy that has now died.
His refusal to pay the balance made him fell out with the embattled Chief of Staff, he stated.
He also accused Gbajabiamila of demanding 48 percent of the N27.4 bn take-off grant purportedly approved as the yearly budget for the agency.
In its reaction to the alleagtion, the Presidency has described the agency as ficticious, saying Matthew was opearting a non-existen agency.
The Presidency has also cleared Gbajabiamila of the alleagtions, in a letter issued on Wednesday by President Tinubu’s spokesperosn, Bayo Onanuga.
Meanwhile, Not a few Nigerians are calling out the Presidency over the issue, saying the allegations against Gbajabiamila are too strong to be swept under the carpet., calling for an independent probe of the matter.
Solomon Dalung, a former Minister of Sports has revealed that the National Assembly demanded to pay a bribe of N200 million to pass the Budget of the Ministry of Sports when he served undet the Muhammadu Buhari’s adminstration. His refusasl to pay the alleged bribe may have led to his ouster from the adminsitration, the former minister said.
The former minister was among those not re-appointed after the late President Buhari won a reelection, despite Dalung’s pressumed closeness to the former Nigerian leader. At the time, political analsyst had opined that the fromer minsiter from Plateau state fell out of power due to the intrigues among the inner circle of the Buhari’s adminsitration.
Some also adduced his fall from power to his refusal to play ball with members of the National Assembly.
Dalung spoke on Channels TV programme Sunshine Daily on Friday, saying the Committees of Sports in NASS demanded the bribe whenever the officials of the ministry went to the Assembly to defend its budget.
According to him, the lawmakers had insisted that he pay them the bribe so that his ministry budget will be passed, and whenever he resistedm he was told that he could ‘not pretend” because other ministers had paid bribe for their budgets to be passed.
The revelation, according to not a few people watching the nation’s National Assembly, has exposed the deepseated corrution among lawmakers in the country, particularly undet the admnistration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu which has been accused of paying lip service to fighting graft in the country.
The 10th National Assembly has come under trenchatnt criticism from not a few Nigerians, who accused its members of being corrupt, and acting in a manner that suggest that they are lap-dog of the Presidency, which has also been under close scrutiny from the publci for allegedly aiding corruption.
For instance, the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila is currently enmessed in an alleged corruption case invloving Adeniyi Matthew, the embattled Director General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council/Presidential Economic Advisory Council.
Gbajabiamila and Matthew are currently in court to clear their names on allegations bordering on forgery and bribery.
The controversy starterd last year after Matthew was arresetd by the police following a pettion by the president’s chief of staff who accused him of forging his appointment letter, deccribing him as a serial fraudster.
Matthew had fired back accusing Gbajabiamila of sending police after him after a deal between them broke down. The alleged deal, according to Matthew, is that he paid N400 million out of the agreed N600 million to the former Spekaer of the Hosue of Representatives, to secure the appointment, thoruh a proxy that has now died.
His refusal to pay the balance made him fell out with the embattled Chief of Staff, he stated.
He also accused Gbajabiamila of demanding 48 percent of the N27.4 bn take-off grant purportedly approved as the yearly budget for the agency.
In its reaction to the alleagtion, the Presidency has described the agency as ficticious, saying Matthew was opearting a non-existen agency.
The Presidency has also cleared Gbajabiamila of the alleagtions, in a letter issued on Wednesday by President Tinubu’s spokesperosn, Bayo Onanuga.
Meanwhile, Not a few Nigerians are calling out the Presidency over the issue, saying the allegations against Gbajabiamila are too strong to be swept under the carpet., calling for an independent probe of the matter.
Discover more from The Source
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
