Senator Ben Murray-Bruce,
representing Bayelsa East
senatorial district is
always in the news trying
to make common sense. However the social media
savvy senator did not make
much of what he preaches as
the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria
(AMCON) on Thursday, June
23, took over three companies belonging to him and his
family. Senator Bruce said it is
possible to fight corruption and
grow the economy at the same
time The assets are being seized
following the failure of Bruce
and his brothers to settle an
N11bn loan owed Union Bank
and acquired by AMCON. Bruce and his brothers used
the companies as collateral in
2005 and 2007 to borrow
various sums of money from
the Union Bank of Nigeria Plc
and failed to pay back as promised which is long
overdue. AMCON purchased
the loan in 2011 to save the
bank from collapsing. AMCON takes over
Silverbird properties The companies affected by
the takeover are Silverbird
Galleria Limited, Silverbird
Promotions Limited, and
Silverbird Showtime Limited. READ ALSO: AMCON: 5 things that will happen to Ben
Bruce businesses AMCON had, by notice of
appointment dated April 18
appointed Muiz Banire as
Receiver/Manager over the
sprawling assets of the three
companies located at 133 Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria
Island, Lagos, Plot No 1161
(Silverbird Galleria); Central
Area Cadastral Zone AOO,
Abuja; and Abonnema Wharf
Road and Abali Park in Port Harcourt City of Rivers State. The takeover followed the
interim orders granted by
Justice Cecilia Olatoregun-
Ishola of the Federal High
Court, Lagos, on June 17
which allowed the receiver/ manager to take possession
of the said properties. The properties were seen
locked up by the agents of the
receiver/manager in an
exercise carried out under the
supervision of men of the
Nigerian police as directed by the Court order. When AMCON realized Bruce
was not ready to pay back the
money, a receiver/manager
was appointed the to recover
the loan. Commonsense or
hypocrisy As a Senator of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria, Nigerians
would question the
commonsense in owing so
much money when the senator
receives huge allowance as wardrobe perks. This is even
more so when he comes on
social media to preach
commonsense revolution and
act holier than thou. One
would have thought he use part of the his allowance to
pay up his debt. So much for
commonsense indeed! A senator in Nigeria reportedly
earns N12,939,549 million in salaries and allowances per
annum. Bruce had called for reduction
in allowances of members of
the National Assembly which
received widespread
commendation. A number of lawmakers
followed suit, giving support to
Bruce’s proposal. But no such
reduction in emoluments have
so far been effected. Ben Bruce reacts to
AMCON attack The common sense advocate
in a swift reaction to the
incident said the situation is
being resolved and things will
be back to normal. Senator Bruce said in 36
years, Silverbird has grown
and it will face challenges like
anybody, adding that it is
possible to fight corruption and
grow the economy at the same time. Bruce, who is not happy with
the poor state of the Nigerian
economy, said President
Muhammadu Buhari’s
administration was more
concerned about fighting corruption and is not paying
attention to what’s going on
with the nation’s economy. Some of the Bayelsa state
senator’s followers in reaction
said he was right. Others even
asked him to hide because
they will soon come for him
like they have done with other people criticising the
government. Ben Bruce the social media
critique Ben Bruce, unlike the Ekiti
state governor, Ayodele
Fayose and Fani-Kayode
applies tact and subtlety in his
criticism of President
Muhammadu Buhari’s administration. Most times he takes to the
social media platform, to voice
his dissenting views of the
policies of the government in
power. READ ALSO: Nigerians blast Ben Bruce after AMCON
attack He focuses more on the
promises made by the Buhari-
led All Progressives Congress
during the election and how
the party has continually failed
to live up to them. The senator however said he
never criticizes anyone but he
raises good government and
policy issues as a way of
driving change. “I have not criticised any
government. I have not
criticised APC. I have not
criticised PDP. I have not
criticised Goodluck
Jonathan, neither have I criticised Muhammadu
Buhari. I have raised good
government issues and
policy issues,” he said. Some people have wondered
why the senator has not
spoken until now. Bruce said
he had always spoken about
these issues. “These are issues that I
have raised all my life.
Maybe these people on
social media have just
discovered Ben Bruce but,
go and check the speeches I made two
years ago, three years ago,
twenty years ago, even in
front of President
Goodluck Jonathan to
ascertain whether they are different from what I am
saying now; maybe they
just discovered me. Go on
youtube and see my
speeches,” he said. Hopefully this serves as
lesson to politicians so they
practice what they preach.