Olu_Bendel:

These are the best posts av read on nairaland im many days. What is realy wrong with our youths and thinking system for goodness sake.We cry and complain to high heavens of the attrocities and corruption of our political leaders and when an Otedola sticks out his neck and business to confront the status quo, we turn round and descend on him. what are we intending to achieve with this, how on earth do we expect other business men who are being extorted to come out tommorow and blow the lid on these evil rampaging our nation.If you have a problem with Otedola and his Business/Political operandi why dont you wait for another case to do this.To Imagine Mallam Zakari Moh'd publicly stating that "As far as we are concerned in this country, for every personality that claims to be straightforward, we know his or her background, antecedents, way of life and means of doing business".This is the same reason they go about extorting every other businessman because they believe nobody is straightforwad? haba coming from an honourable its both shameful and despicable.Now they want to "deal with Otedola" for heavens sake lets not take our eyes off the ball.These honourables dont mean well for you and I.Otedola might just be a tool in helping to expose them, nobody said he was a saint.

Olu_Bendel:

These are the best posts av read on nairaland im many days. What is realy wrong with our youths and thinking system for goodness sake.We cry and complain to high heavens of the attrocities and corruption of our political leaders and when an Otedola sticks out his neck and business to confront the status quo, we turn round and descend on him. what are we intending to achieve with this, how on earth do we expect other business men who are being extorted to come out tommorow and blow the lid on these evil rampaging our nation.If you have a problem with Otedola and his Business/Political operandi why dont you wait for another case to do this.To Imagine Mallam Zakari Moh'd publicly stating that "As far as we are concerned in this country, for every personality that claims to be straightforward, we know his or her background, antecedents, way of life and means of doing business".This is the same reason they go about extorting every other businessman because they believe nobody is straightforwad? haba coming from an honourable its both shameful and despicable.Now they want to "deal with Otedola" for heavens sake lets not take our eyes off the ball.These honourables dont mean well for you and I.Otedola might just be a tool in helping to expose them, nobody said he was a saint.

Olu_Bendel:

These are the best posts av read on nairaland im many days. What is realy wrong with our youths and thinking system for goodness sake.We cry and complain to high heavens of the attrocities and corruption of our political leaders and when an Otedola sticks out his neck and business to confront the status quo, we turn round and descend on him. what are we intending to achieve with this, how on earth do we expect other business men who are being extorted to come out tommorow and blow the lid on these evil rampaging our nation.If you have a problem with Otedola and his Business/Political operandi why dont you wait for another case to do this.To Imagine Mallam Zakari Moh'd publicly stating that "As far as we are concerned in this country, for every personality that claims to be straightforward, we know his or her background, antecedents, way of life and means of doing business".This is the same reason they go about extorting every other businessman because they believe nobody is straightforwad? haba coming from an honourable its both shameful and despicable.Now they want to "deal with Otedola" for heavens sake lets not take our eyes off the ball.These honourables dont mean well for you and I.Otedola might just be a tool in helping to expose them, nobody said he was a saint.

mufc009:
Gbam
Seconded

Olu_Bendel:

These are the best posts av read on nairaland im many days. What is realy wrong with our youths and thinking system for goodness sake.We cry and complain to high heavens of the attrocities and corruption of our political leaders and when an Otedola sticks out his neck and business to confront the status quo, we turn round and descend on him. what are we intending to achieve with this, how on earth do we expect other business men who are being extorted to come out tommorow and blow the lid on these evil rampaging our nation.If you have a problem with Otedola and his Business/Political operandi why dont you wait for another case to do this.To Imagine Mallam Zakari Moh'd publicly stating that "As far as we are concerned in this country, for every personality that claims to be straightforward, we know his or her background, antecedents, way of life and means of doing business".This is the same reason they go about extorting every other businessman because they believe nobody is straightforwad? haba coming from an honourable its both shameful and despicable.Now they want to "deal with Otedola" for heavens sake lets not take our eyes off the ball.These honourables dont mean well for you and I.Otedola might just be a tool in helping to expose them, nobody said he was a saint.

Sky Blue:

With all due respect I think you might be the one missing the point here. The points bolded I find quite interesting. What exactly is the case really about? Oil subsidy probe anybody?? It is quite disappointing that people have already started losing that focus and we enjoy jumping from one scandal or outrage to another. This whole issue for me stems from oil subsidy probe, not "fighting corruption". Because no matter how ideal that might sound to the mouth, in a place like Nigeria "fighting corruption" has to be tackled in [b]specifics, the oil subsidy probe being one [/b] (who did what, how much was taken - not useless platitudes like "they are all corrupt" ). Only through such an approach can we begin to set precedents that will act as useful deterrents to the crime.

You state that the house of rep does not mean well for us, and what makes you think Otedola does? If you agree as you seem to do with you closing sentence that Otedola is not necessarily a "saint", then you agree that he has been a useful tool in deconstructing the specifics of corruption in the house (who and how). The interesting thing about this is the response it invokes in you - automatic obligation to his cause when you don't even` know what that cause is. If Otedola said he was doing this is to "fight corruption" in Nigeria that is a different matter. I just don't get how you can fight for a man's cause when you don't even know what it is. But I think it is because the country has been so molested, that any trace of hope is grabbed on to even without an understanding of the macro implications. Otedola is a tool in all of this, if he has nothing to hide good for him, we all gain. But stop trying to make it sound like he is fighting corruption, he has his mouth, stop trying to speak for him.

Final thing. [b]Where has all the scandal and outrage of happenings in the house and politics of the country gotten us in the last 13 years? How many people are in jail? Yet more people are getting richer off corrupt practises? [/b]Think about that question very well and meditate on it because it is an important one. We need to stop being distracted and start rallying around the right causes. For me, in this case the issue is fuel subsidy, something which if we all rally around proper investigation and come together to pressure the executive and legislative for implementation based on findings, can close system loop holes that allow corrupt practises occur. You see? Specifics. That to me is a more worthy cause that can outlive the fun we seem to derive from scandals. I am tired of scandals, I just want results and the scandals would only be useful if they lead to concrete positive changes.

This is what I am saying. Your boss and the DG are robbing the bank while you and your colleagues provide covering fire. If the China treatment should be meted out both your boss and the DG will be hung. For you your best case scenario will be job loss, the worst case is twenty years to life if you are the accountant.

We often fool ourselves in Nigeria thinking corruption is a government thing alone. The truth is that fuel importers, IOC's, engineering contractors, audit firms, banks, etc are all private sector. When you begin to hang the very fabric of corporate Nigeria will collapse.

I say it again and stand to be corrected. 7 out of every 10 workers in any sector is paid with marked naira or dollar notes. The illegal economy in Nigeria should be approaching 60% of our GDP. We only shout corruption when others are involved.

ACM10: There is no doubt that Otedola did the right thing. But the fact remains that he was tainted by the same corruption that he is fighting. He is a wrong medium to transport this message. In fact his aim is to win the sympathy of Nigerians as he fights his private war. We love whistleblowers, but Otedola is a wrong messenger to convey this message.

Sky Blue:

How do you know Otedola is fighting to "clean" the house? You make his motives sound so altruistic. We need to stop being fools in other people's wars.

Be very very careful here and don't be so quick to take sides especially when you don't know what part Otedola plays in the greater scheme of things. This is really very simple, a bribe was apparently recorded, let the courts handle it and the appropriate sentence be metted out. The posturing of Nigerians in this thing is pressuring law enforcement to make sure further corruption does not creep into the enforcement of the law, and asking for a refocus on fuel subsidy report.

This latest stance by the leadership of the house reeks of vendetta and there is no need for Nigerians to be caught up in it. Anyone who is not guily of something has nothing to fear so let both sides pick each other apart, it is for our own benefit. As long as that report is revisited and Farouk receives the full weight of the law (and whoever else is found culpable), Period.

pluto04:
What kind of whistleblowers do you love then? The ones that come from heaven?

ACM10:

The fact that he is a whistleblower does not mean that we should overlook his past deed. It does not even exempt him from our harsh criticism

pluto04:
What exactly is 'his past deed'? Care to share?

pluto04:

I find it difficult to believe that the foregoing came from thesame person. Maybe I just dont understand what has been written, but it reads to me like:

1. We should focus on fuel subsidy scam and not the official corruption that led to the fuel subsidy scam or the one that has resulted from it.
2. A corruption whistleblower is not fighting corruption.
3. Before we support a whistleblower, we should find out why he/she blew the whistle
4. Scandals are good if they lead to positive changes but you don't believe that the scandals will not lead anywhere if the populace view the key actors as just people fighting personal wars.

Don't you think that we are where we are because of these kind of 'it is non of my business' attitudes?

I personally think the report is dead and buried and it is not Otedola's fault but that of the legislooters that saw the probe only as an opportunity to make money. It is not even worth the ink it was printed on if people were being threatened to either payup or have their names included in the report irrespective of whether or not they were guilty to begin with. Time to outsource the investigation to a competent unbiased third party. Every hand should be on deck to rid every arm of our Government (executive, legislature, Judiciary)of corruption. Whistleblowers are welcomed.

Sky Blue:

How do you know Otedola is fighting to "clean" the house? You make his motives sound so altruistic. We need to stop being fools in other people's wars.

Be very very careful here and don't be so quick to take sides especially when you don't know what part Otedola plays in the greater scheme of things. This is really very simple, a bribe was apparently recorded, let the courts handle it and the appropriate sentence be metted out. The posturing of Nigerians in this thing is pressuring law enforcement to make sure further corruption does not creep into the enforcement of the law, and asking for a refocus on fuel subsidy report.

This latest stance by the leadership of the house reeks of vendetta and there is no need for Nigerians to be caught up in it. Anyone who is not guily of something has nothing to fear so let both sides pick each other apart, it is for our own benefit. As long as that report is revisited and Farouk receives the full weight of the law (and whoever else is found culpable), Period.

Olu_Bendel:

These are the best posts av read on nairaland im many days. What is realy wrong with our youths and thinking system for goodness sake.We cry and complain to high heavens of the attrocities and corruption of our political leaders and when an Otedola sticks out his neck and business to confront the status quo, we turn round and descend on him. what are we intending to achieve with this, how on earth do we expect other business men who are being extorted to come out tommorow and blow the lid on these evil rampaging our nation.If you have a problem with Otedola and his Business/Political operandi why dont you wait for another case to do this.To Imagine Mallam Zakari Moh'd publicly stating that "As far as we are concerned in this country, for every personality that claims to be straightforward, we know his or her background, antecedents, way of life and means of doing business".This is the same reason they go about extorting every other businessman because they believe nobody is straightforwad? haba coming from an honourable its both shameful and despicable.Now they want to "deal with Otedola" for heavens sake lets not take our eyes off the ball.These honourables dont mean well for you and I.Otedola might just be a tool in helping to expose them, nobody said he was a saint.

Sky Blue:

With all due respect I think you might be the one missing the point here. The points bolded I find quite interesting. What exactly is the case really about? Oil subsidy probe anybody?? It is quite disappointing that people have already started losing that focus and we enjoy jumping from one scandal or outrage to another. This whole issue for me stems from oil subsidy probe, not "fighting corruption". Because no matter how ideal that might sound to the mouth, in a place like Nigeria "fighting corruption" has to be tackled in specifics, the oil subsidy probe being one (who did what, how much was taken - not useless platitudes like "they are all corrupt" ). Only through such an approach can we begin to set precedents that will act as useful deterrents to the crime.

You state that the house of rep does not mean well for us, and what makes you think Otedola does? If you agree as you seem to do with you closing sentence that Otedola is not necessarily a "saint", then you agree that he has been a useful tool in deconstructing the specifics of corruption in the house (who and how). The interesting thing about this is the response it invokes in you - automatic obligation to his cause when you don't even know what that cause is. If Otedola said he was doing this is to "fight corruption" in Nigeria that is a different matter. I just don't get how you can fight for a man's cause when you don't even know what it is. But I think it is because the country has been so molested, that any trace of hope is grabbed on to even without an understanding of the macro implications. Otedola is a tool in all of this, if he has nothing to hide good for him, we all gain. But stop trying to make it sound like he is fighting corruption, he has his mouth, stop trying to speak for him.

Final thing. Where has all the scandal and outrage of happenings in the house and politics of the country gotten us in the last 13 years? How many people are in jail? Yet more people are getting richer off corrupt practises? Think about that question very well and meditate on it because it is an important one. We need to stop being distracted and start rallying around the right causes. For me, in this case the issue is fuel subsidy, something which if we all rally around proper investigation and come together to pressure the executive and legislative for implementation based on findings, can close system loop holes that allow corrupt practises occur. You see? Specifics. That to me is a more worthy cause that can outlive the fun we seem to derive from scandals. I am tired of scandals, I just want results and the scandals would only be useful if they lead to concrete positive changes.

thegoodjoehunt:

A lot of people have been screaming that this whole subsidy issue is fake. If the probe is fake and names where just thrown in there, why should we focus on the lie? What should be investigated is the probe. How was it done and what role did the CBN play. If we can find those who were decieving the nation, we can start again. For now I would like to know how so much money left CBN unaccounted for and in such a probe names were removed and maybe innocent marketers were indicted.

The House of Representatives is not yet done with the oil baron, Mr. Femi Otedola, the central figure in the $620,000 alleged bribe which has led to the suspension of Mallam Farouk Lawan as Chairman of the House Committee on Education and the Ad hoc Committee on fuel Subsidy Management.

The House described Otedola as "a sinking man" after the oil baron dismissed the decision of the Reps to restore Zenon Oil and Gas Limited and Synopsis Enterprises Limited, believed to be owned by him, in the list of oil importers indicted by the ad hoc committee as corruptly receiving oil subsidy. He had called the decision as laughable and a celebration of corruption.

He also said he suspected that Lawan could not have acted alone in allegedly extorting bribe from him.

Chairman of the House Committee on Media, Zakari Mohammed, responding to Otedola's allegation, challenged him to name Lawan's conspirators.

The House, he declared, acted within the rule of law by its decision and did not celebrate corruption as being alleged by Otedola.

He said: "As an institution, we won't join words with Mr. Femi Otedola. His case is that of a sinking man. As far as we are concerned in this country, for every personality that claims to be straightforward, we know his or her background, antecedents, way of life and means of doing business.

"On his allegation that Mr. Farouk Lawan could not have acted alone, the House of Representatives is asking Otedola to name others. He who alleges must prove beyond reasonable doubt. We have made ourselves available as open as possible with what we did on Friday."

He continued: "To say that we are celebrating corruption is mischievous and unfair. I think any patriotic and conscientious Nigerian should appreciate that what we did was a show of transparency and allowing the rule of law.

"We support anti-corruption campaign; we will not waiver in our commitment to this. We cannot be the investigator, the prosecutor and the judge at the same time. We decided to allow the law to take its course."

He denied suggestion that the Reps were witch-hunting Otedola.

"Since the removal of Zenon Oil and Gas from the list of those having issues to answer became questionable, we felt there is need for a thorough investigation into the matter.

"The Ad Hoc Committee is re-examining allegations against those 17 companies who allegedly obtained foreign exchange without importing products. Otedola should go back to the committee instead of rushing to the press.

"Certainly, there is no question of witch-hunt at all. As an institution, we are above partisanship."

On the mix-up of figures by the House on the actual amount credited to Zenon, Mohammed added: "Whatever complaint he has about figures, he should channel it to that committee rather than hastily running to the press."

The House spokesman assured Nigerians that it would be more courageous in conducting its affairs to earn more dividends of democracy for the populace.

He said: "We will continue to be focused, we will avoid distraction. We have resolved to be more courageous on the Nigerian Project targeted at delivering more dividends to Nigerians who are our employers."

Sky Blue:

These are all questions which can be answered by refocusing on the whole oil subsidy issue. That report as far as I am concerned has no integrity. How do we know if the biggest benefactors didn't just bribe their way out of the list? There are people who should have been investigated who were not even investigated by the panel. So to be honest these are areas our focus should more fruitfuly lie. I am not villifying Otedola here and I don't think this is the issue. His expose (so to speak) has been very useful and important. But the issue for me is people so eager to make him a saint or some fighter of corruption when the story has not even gotten close to finishing. What is wrong with us?

And people express shock and horror at how Farouk turned out, how he "disappointed" them. Well, if people were not so dumb and eager to pick sides before they understood the issues, they wouldn't have been so disappointed. I was never swayed by Farouk, ever! But here we are again, about to repeat the same thing without having the most important details. I think we might just enjoy scandal rather than making fruitful progress. This issue should be bigger than any one man.

omiemie1: otedola is the hero here

lanre_front: I dont know why some people are trying to complicate something that can simply and logically analysed.
Now, Otedola in his action of a sting-operation with the SSS and the Reps in their response to the aftermath, ofcourse have reasons apart from the ones they are professing, which can be seen, that is motivationg or propelling them. But lets deal with what can be seen and ascertained for now at face value.

Farouk Lawans either solicited or was offered bribe from Otedola, which he collected, to remove the name of his (Otedola) companies from the list of idicted companies in the subsidy report; let the law takes is due process. If he's found guilty let him face the punishment recommended by the law.

Now that brings into question the removal of the names: and the question is, it seems Otedola's companies should never have been removed. If the reps says let the Otedola's two companies be included back in the list, well it sounds reasoanble enough. If Otedola's companies are innocent, then he has nothing to fear.

I agree with most of the things you are saying but your analogy. You are basing your point on Otedola being guilty and tempting FAR-CROOK. If you also take another perspective and look at the whole issue from the point of Otedola being innocent in this whole issue, It takes a different direction.

To mention a few (If Otedola is innocent):

FAR-CROOK doctored the report and put names that shouldn't have been there. Also removed names that should have been on the report.

FAR-CROOK contacted Otedola to bribe him and get his name off the list.

Otedola refused to bribe FAR-CROOK and got his name submitted as one who wasted Nigerian FOREX.

Otedola agrees to bribe the HOUSE OF CROOKS.

HOUSE OF CROOKS all agree to remove his name.

Otedola shows that he gave them ODE-DOLLAR (Fake Dollars-Dollars that doesn't make sense).


From this perspective you will understand why many feel the subsidy should not be taken seriously.

My recomendation, a fresh and thorough probe should be done with an independent group made up of credible people.

CBN should also be forced to make their own investigations and give account of how the so called SUBSIDY money got missing.

Sky Blue:

How do you know Otedola is fighting to "clean" the house? You make his motives sound so altruistic. We need to stop being fools in other people's wars.

Be very very careful here and don't be so quick to take sides especially when you don't know what part Otedola plays in the greater scheme of things. This is really very simple, a bribe was apparently recorded, let the courts handle it and the appropriate sentence be metted out. The posturing of Nigerians in this thing is pressuring law enforcement to make sure further corruption does not creep into the enforcement of the law, and asking for a refocus on fuel subsidy report.

This latest stance by the leadership of the house reeks of vendetta and there is no need for Nigerians to be caught up in it. Anyone who is not guily of something has nothing to fear so let both sides pick each other apart, it is for our own benefit. As long as that report is revisited and Farouk receives the full weight of the law (and whoever else is found culpable), Period.

thegoodjoehunt:

I agree with most of the things you are saying but your analogy. You are basing your point on Otedola being guilty and tempting FAR-CROOK. If you also take another perspective and look at the whole issue from the point of Otedola being innocent in this whole issue, It takes a different direction.

To mention a few (If Otedola is innocent):

FAR-CROOK doctored the report and put names that shouldn't have been there. Also removed names that should have been on the report.

FAR-CROOK contacted Otedola to bribe him and get his name off the list.

Otedola refused to bribe FAR-CROOK and got his name submitted as one who wasted Nigerian FOREX.

Otedola agrees to bribe the HOUSE OF CROOKS.

HOUSE OF CROOKS all agree to remove his name.

Otedola shows that he gave them ODE-DOLLAR (Fake Dollars-Dollars that doesn't make sense).


From this perspective you will understand why many feel the subsidy should not be taken seriously.

My recomendation, a fresh and thorough probe should be done with an independent group made up of credible people.

CBN should also be forced to make their own investigations and give account of how the so called SUBSIDY money got missing.