Dimeji Bankole Photo: Sun News Publishing

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The probe into allegation of fraud in the purchase of 380 Peugeot 407 cars for members of the House of Representatives took a dramatic turn on Thursday as a self acclaimed pro- democracy crusader, Comrade Umar Farouk confessed that he was offered N1million to discredit the leadership of the House over the purchase.

Umar, decked in a cream strapped kaftan and a cap to match, alleged before the Committee on Ethics and Privileges that a member of the House, Hon Independent Ogunewe contacted him to organize press conference and print leaflets, asking the Speaker Dimeji Bankole to either resign or step aside for investigation of the alleged scam to be concluded.

To carry out the nefarious assignment, he claimed to have been offered N1million, out of which N200,000 was paid as mobilization, with a promise to provide additional money after the conclusion of the assignment, which included a protest rally at the National Assembly.
Narrating how he was contacted, Farouk said some members of House attended the meeting and that he identified some of them to include Hon Festus Adegoke, Gbenga Oduwaiye, Amusa and Solomon Awhinawhin.

Subsequent anti- Bankole meetings, according to him, were held at the Chida Hotel, Protea Hotel at Asokoro, Apo and Maitama residences of Hon Ogunewe
"Shifting of venues appears largely as strategy to avoid detection. And other Honourable members tried to conceal their identities," he alleged.

The main task given him, Farouk alleged further, was to complement what Festus Keyamo, the Lagos lawyer had started and that he (Farouk) "should name my price."

Initially, he said he was convinced that the Speaker had stepped on toes and also undermined the interests of the group, in addition to "frivolous spending of public funds on indiscriminate overseas trips."
Apart from him, he alleged that Hon Ogunewe, in his recruitment drive to fight the Speaker, personally contacted the Civil Liberty Organisation (CLO) as well as other civil society and human rights groups in the country.

Farouk told the committee that it was at the point where his sponsors complained that the figures on the leaflets to be circulated to the public were far less and there was the need to jerk it up that he became worried because of his past roles in democracy struggles.

"It became strange to me because I was involved in pro-democracy struggles, even with the late Sule Yari Ghandi and at no time was I asked to name my price to carry out a struggle. Also, the issue of repackaging the documents baffled me, I became suspicious,’ he claimed.

Umar, who came with a digital tape recorder of conversation he had with Hon Ogunewe, which was admitted by the committee as an exhibit, said he still had documentary evidence to support his argument that those fighting the Speaker were doing so for selfish reasons.
He added that a press conference was held at an undisclosed hotel in Kaduna but could not ascertain whether the story was published or not.

According to him, three other anti-corruption groups involved in the campaign were the Transparency International, Northern Coalition for Democracy and Push for Africa.
Ogunewe could not be reached on his mobile phone line. The phone rang but the calls were not picked.
Meanwhile, Zenith Bank has denied keeping a capital account of the National Assembly.

Chief Inspector of the bank, Tunji Olanipekun said that the only link the bank had with the National Assembly was Clinic Accounts and PARP Accounts.
Keyamo had alleged before the committee that Zenith bank cheque was used to pay for the value added tax for the cost of purchasing the cars.