President Goodluck Jonathan has dispelled reports in the media alleging his involvement in a bribery scandal involving Chairman of House of Representatives' fuel subsidy probe ad-hoc committee chairman, Farouk Lawan and a petroleum marketing firm, saying he had and does not nurse any plan to interfere in matters concerning the House.
Accordingly, Jonathan warned that the lawmakers and law enforcement agencies should be given a level playing ground “to conduct and conclude investigations without further unhelpful distractions”, adding that “the attempt to drag the Presidency into the matter is entirely speculative and without factual foundation”.
Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), a non-governmental organisation had on Wednesday alleged that there was a plot by the presidency to use the bribery scandal involving Lawan to perfect moves to remove the leadership of the House of Representatives.
But refuting the claim, the presidency said it was a lame and diversionary attempt “to drag the person and office of the President into the very unsavoury bribery scandal”
In a statement by Dr. Reuben Abati, his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, President Jonathan reiterated his earlier directive to the Attorney-General of the Federation on the report of the Ad-Hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy, noting that the said report “as adopted by the House of Representatives, subsists and he fully expects that all those indicted in the report will be duly investigated and prosecuted if a prima facie case is established against them”, recent developments such as the bribe scandal notwithstanding,.