Chinelo Obogo
The Lagos State House of Assembly has thrown out a petition alleging the receipt of $200,000 bribe by Moshood Oshun, representing Lagos Mainland Constituency 2 in the Assembly.
Oshun had been accused of collecting bribe from three companies in order to cover up for their non-performing contracts worth over nine billion naira awarded to them by the immediate past Akinwunmi Ambode administration.
In a petition, which was submitted to the Speaker, Mudasiru Obasa, by an anti-corruption campaign organisation, Stop Corruption Now Initiative and signed by its president Olakunle Omisade, Oshun was accused of collecting the said illicit money from contractors who were awarded various contracts bordering on the environment by the Akinwumi Ambode administration to the tune of nine billion naira paid upfront against established rules.
The said companies are: Quality Sanctuary Services Limited, Jane Rin International Services Limited and Blue Bridge Marine Services Limited.
Raising the matter under urgent Matter of Public Importance on Thursday, Tunde Braimoh stated that the speaker sent the petition to the House Committee on Public Petition, LASIEC, Human Rights and Judiciary, which he chairs on Tuesday.
Braimoh stated that the address of the petitioner was not traceable and that there was no phone number where the petitioner could be located.
“The committee considered this and noted that the petitioner could not be located. We noticed some discrepancies in the petition, and it was frivolous. The petitioner is not even available to establish his case. Under the rules of the House, the petitioner ought to disclose his address,” he said.
The committee then recommended that the petition should be struck out because the petitioner was faceless, adding that members of the public should embrace decorum in approaching the House and beware of information in the social media.
Responding to the petition, the speaker that members should disregard “the frivolous petition.”
“It is common with my years of experience to see such a petition only for the petitioner not to come at the committee level.
“It is either the petitioners were looking for favour. I have received reports even from television stations on the matter.
“We will want the writers of the petition to come forward or else we will throw it out,” he said.
It was then concluded that it should be thrown out by the House.