Posted: November 29, 2010 - 00:42
Posted by siteadmin

By SaharaReporters, New York
Fiery Lagos pastor, Tunde Bakare, has confirmed to Saharareporters that President Goodluck Jonathan provided a $50,000 bribe in cash to the Save Nigeria Group delegation that visited him last Monday.

This is contrary to a tepid denial by one of Jonathan's political operative,Tony Uranta. Uranta had claimed on his Facebook page yesterday that Saharareporters misrepresented the crux of the  meeting between the President and the Pastor Bakare-led delegation.

Specifically, Uranta denied that Jonathan discussed his ambition to run for office with the SNG delegation. He also lied that no money was offered to the team and that he conveyed the bribe money back to Jonathan.

Pastor Bakare's revelation further confirms Saharareporters' exclusive report that the minister of the Niger Delta, Godsday Orubebe, on behalf of the President, offered the SNG $50,000 in cash after the group met with Jonathan to review his performance in office.

Speaking exclusively to Saharareporters via telephone on Sunday night from Lagos, Pastor Bakare stated categorically that his team was indeed offered money as it submitted a position paper on why it was opposed to the president's ambition to be re-elected.

He however said the $50,000 was immediately returned to sender through Uranta, shortly after it was presented to the SNG delegation.

The SNG convener said his team felt terribly embarrassed and offended by the orchestrated attempt to buy their support by the President and his hatchet-men.

An obviously angry Pastor Bakare said, "You can quote me, I don't do deals and I don't lie. Tony (Uranta), could be saving his own face. Tony lied that he didn't collect the money from us. There are living witnesses. Orubebe has confirmed to me that the money was returned. Mr. President is aware through Oronto Douglas that we returned his money through Tony."


Speaking further, Pastor Bakare said he went to the meeting with Jonathan accompanied by Yinka Odumakin and others with a written document to explain to Jonathan why the SNG would not support his candidacy.

"We submitted a document regarding the culture of impunity in which, he (Jonathan) continues to swim," he said.

As Saharareporters had exclusively reported, Jonathan met with the Save Nigeria Group to discuss his ambition to run for office after it dawned on him that Abubakar Atiku, the consensus candidate chosen by the so-called Northern Political Elders Forum, was going to be a hard nut to crack.

After Bakare made his presentation and accused Jonathan of having abused the goodwill offered him by Nigerians, the president made available $50,000 to the group, through Orubebe, apparently to buy their loyalty.

By attempting to buy the SNG's support, Jonathan has done the opposite of what he preaches.

Jonathan had in a speech on Saturday urged Nigerians to ignore politicians who seek to win election by offering money to groups and individuals.

The president gave the do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do sermon at the 2010 graduation ceremony of the Senior Executive Course 32 of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) Kuru, in the North-Central State of Plateau where he was represented by his vice, Namadi Sambo. 

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MetalGong4:

I wonder why some people are surprised by GEJ's desperate moves . . . . Anyway, the fear of Atiku is the beginning of Ebele's failure.

ziddy:

Apparently, SNG has no idea whatsoever of the going rates in Naija politics, if they regard that small honorarium as a 'bribe to buy their loyalty'. That was just transport money, haba!

ziddy:

Apparently, SNG has no idea whatsoever of the going rates in Naija politics, if they regard that small honorarium as a 'bribe to buy their loyalty'. That was just transport money, haba!

Faeb:

Sahara Reporters have taken down their false story:

http://saharareporters.com/news-page/jonathan-offered-sng-delegation-50000-bribe-pastor-tunde-bakare

Creating false news has become the shameless pastime of Sahara Reporters, it is high time someone sued them for very hefty damages.

marvix:

, And even if he gave $50,000.00 so what?

If I invite people i believe can help with my campaign at least their transport and accomodation can be arranged by myself and if they have done that what is wrong with compensating for their time spent.

Jonathan is not a poor man, he has already done a fund raising for his campaigns and people have donated generously, so the money could have been taken from campaign funds or wherever and if Pastor Bakare feels that his concience could be bought for $50,000.00 then he is a bleeping cheap pastor.

ziddy:

Apparently, SNG has no idea whatsoever of the going rates in Naija politics, if they regard that small honorarium as a 'bribe to buy their loyalty'. That was just transport money, haba!

sd-6:

Abeg,make we hear word. 4rm d report,the pastor is nt a fan of GEJ so we can undastand why a little token of appreciatn can b wrongly misinterpretd. Wil d pastor swear dt he has nt collectd such token 4rm some1 he's campaignin for. If nt,wat is their reason 4 settn up d SNG,if nt 2 crave for such gestures nd recognitn. Abeg,dey wil not deceive me oh.

marvix:

, And even if he gave $50,000.00 so what?

If I invite people i believe can help with my campaign at least their transport and accomodation can be arranged by myself and if they have done that what is wrong with compensating for their time spent.

Jonathan is not a poor man, he has already done a fund raising for his campaigns and people have donated generously, so the money could have been taken from campaign funds or wherever and if Pastor Bakare feels that his concience could be bought for $50,000.00 then he is a bleeping cheap pastor.

I guess you are joking
Transportation to where will cost $50000 and did they even ask him for it? If pple donated for Jonathan, who where the pple who did it? Where did they get the money from? Is it not the same public funds that they are re-cycling?
If this is a true response from you, I wont be surprised cos I ve always said the worst of Nig is yet to come.

Does he think he can buy the SNG cos they supported him during the Yar'Adua stuff . . .sorry oo, they are not with anyone forever, they see the truth and say it at once, you may be their next target.

sd-6:

Abeg,make we hear word. 4rm d report,the pastor is nt a fan of GEJ so we can undastand why a little token of appreciatn can b wrongly misinterpretd. Wil d pastor swear dt he has nt collectd such token 4rm some1 he's campaignin for. If nt,wat is their reason 4 settn up d SNG,if nt 2 crave for such gestures nd recognitn. Abeg,dey wil not deceive me oh.

foooool.
He is not a fan of GEJ, yet he fought for GEJ to be made acting president while Yar adua and his kinsmen were playing us. . . Little token of appreciation with $50000 , use your calculator and tell me how much it will cost to fix the Benin-Ore ferderal government road.

Seeing posts like yours in the morning really affects my day but strengthens my feelings that Nigeria is heading no where cos the youths are even worse than the elders.

oludashmi:

foooool.
He is not a fan of GEJ, yet he fought for GEJ to be made acting president while Yar adua and his kinsmen were playing us. . . Little token of appreciation with $50000 , use your calculator and tell me how much it will cost to fix the Benin-Ore ferderal government road.

Seeing posts like yours in the morning really affects my day but strengthens my feelings that Nigeria is heading no where cos the youths are even worse than the elders.

babytoun:

We all do not have to see this same way , but I strongly feel the report is in bad light. First we have to find out how dealings like this are carried out within government circles. If the president invites some group of persons to Abuja, who foots the hotel , air fair, cost of security(yes personal security ) and other expenses?  Right here in Lagos oriental hotels charge as high as 450k for some class of rooms.

Secondly we still do not know how many members of SNG went to see the president.

I feel the aides of the president only did some worst-case estimates of what the members of SNG would have spent to honour the presidents invitation and padded some extras into it. Sincerely if it was meant to be a bribe , for someone in Bakare's class then $50000 is far below the mark.

I dont think the president did anything wrong. I also dont think Bakare did anything wrong. He(bakare) acted based on his personal conviction.

What i frown at is the politcal point sahara is trying to score and the kind of publicity Bakare is trying to give it.

Kobojunkie:

So Bakare already confirmed the story? interesting! I do hope the President does not try to explain this on his facebook. What am I talking about, those guys on there are willing to swallow up anything he says without second thought.

texazzpete:

Well, you sure have swallowed Bakare's side of the story without second thought, haven't you?