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Monday, June 11, 2012

THE VAMPIRES DIARY 4: OTEDOLA CONFIRMS BRIBE TO LAWMAKERS



THE VAMPIRES DIARY 4

In this particular series of Vampires Diary (the diary about some iniquitous Nigerians) we bring to you full details regarding the fuel subsidy scandal involving the Law-makers and the so-called ‘untouchable Nigerians’. I regard these people as Vampires that are sucking the wealth of this nation. These people are privilege to be at the corridor of power, authority and management of the Nation’s resources instead they are majorly the source of pains to majority of Nigerians as well as reasons behind the backwardness of this Nation.

According to reports in major Nigeria newspapers, the Chairman of Zenon Petroleum & Gas, Femi Otedola explained how the chairman of the ad-hoc committee (Hon Farouk Lawan) and secretary of the committee (Boniface Emenalo) collected $620,000 (Bribe) from them as part payment for an agreed $3 million bribery. This amount was to exonerate Zion Oil from the investigation.


According to Otedola, he was bewildered by Farouk demands for the aforementioned amount, having in mind that his Managing Director (Kareem Otaru-Zeon oil M.D) had explained to the panel that Zion never participated in subsidy claims from the government. However, he said Farouk still insisted on collecting the amount in order to keep Zenon’s name out of the report.

Otedola stated that Lawan informed him that other oil marketers had offered the members of the committee huge some of money so as to maintain clean records. Therefore, Zion as a company too must also pay to be cleared of any allegation.

A day before the publication of the report by this committee, Otedola was also called again by Lawan informing him of the inclusion of Zeon in the report. Though Otedola tried to make him see the reason why his company should not be included but Zeon was included on the finally report that came out the next day.

Zeon name was included among the list of companies that bought foreign exchange from CBN (Central Bank Of Nigeria) but failed to supply petrol. Again Otedola was surprised when some of $232,975,385.13 was ascribed to his company as the amount bought from CBN for the unfulfilled transaction.

Otedola: I confronted him again regarding this report but he insisted that I should reciprocate with the agreed amount like other marketers did and Zeon name will be removed.
At this point I decided to involve the security agencies to catch Lawani and his committee with their hands in till.
The first payment of the agreed Bribery was paid on April 21. Lawani actually came to my place to pick $250,000 in cash (as the first installment) while another $250,000 on Monday. For these transactions I (Otedola) have the call logs, video and audio recordings in the possession of security agencies.
While on Tuesday $120,000 was given to Boniface before the House committee commenced seating. This made a total amount $620,000 and with this Zeon oil name was removed from the list of the companies that failed to import products.
Otedola: my integrity is paramount to me. I started selling petroleum products 14 years ago in drums and somebody who has never run a petrol station is trying to blackmail and extort money from me.
“If others (marketers) have paid money, maybe they are guilty. But I did not do anything wrong, so why should they extort money from me? As a law-abiding citizen, I had to involve the security agencies. Indeed, I’m very disappointed because I have worked hard to build my business.”



Signature: d'prince






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