$9.3m arms deal: Hearing on alleged $50,000 bribe given to PDP lawmakers

Members of the House of Representatives Committee on Ethics and Privileges will on Wednesday commence hearing on an alleged $50,000 bribe given to Peoples Democratic Party,PDP lawmakers to stall a motion on the seized $9.3 million arms deal in South Africa
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 Investigations revealed that the hearing which was initially scheduled for Wednesday, last week could not hold as the major participants did not show up at the venue.
It was also reliably gathered that Aliyu Madaki, APC, Kano, who on the floor of the House admitted that he told a journalist that PDP lawmakers were given $20,000 and not $50,000 as reported had insisted the hearing must be done in public.
Some PDP lawmakers, who spoke to US under the condition of anonymity said “once a sensitive motion is killed the opposition would raise dust but when APC lawmakers kill a motion nothing is said”.
A lawmaker from the South South region said, “Last week a motion on further amendment to the Electoral Act motion was killed on the floor of the House by APC members and this did not raise any dust but once it is PDP, then there will be allegation that money has exchanged hands.
“Our members should change from this perception of things as it is killing democracy in Nigeria”.
Another lawmaker from the South West simply said ”What do you expect at this period of the 7th Assembly? We are going to play politics on the floor of the House till after 2015 elections, so expect more allegations”.
We recall that the House had on September 24 mandated its committee on ethics and privileges to investigate Madaki’s allegations and submit its report within two weeks.