Eric Ayoola:
Your latest contribution gives me some ideas of how to go a few steps further than yourself in the interesting direction that you are going:
1. suppose someone offers me money upon a visit - it really does not matter much which denomination, dollar, yen or naira - which on principle I wish to decline.
2. suppose he presses upon me to take it, even after my spirited rejections.
I now have two choices:
3. I can accept - physically taking the money from him - but then tell him RIGHT AWAY that I am going to donate it to charity PUBLICLY.
4. Alternatively, I tell him RIGHT AWAY that I am going to donate it to charity PUBLICLY - before asking to be given the money.
5. I will wait to see his reaction:
(a) if, after (3), he says "Go ahead", I will then keep the money, but indeed donate it publicly to charity at the earliest possible time, telling the world where I got the money from, and informing the donor formally. The donation should be like within hours or the next day, not the following year!
(b) If, on the other hand, after (3) he suddenly asks for his money back, I will give it back - and make no fuss about it publicly.
(c) But if, after (4), he still gives me the money, I will revert to 5(a).
(d) If, after (4), he does not give me the money, I will walk away and make no fuss about it.
Oro bu se - Finito.
Dr. Ola Kassim:
Of all the contributors to this thread so far, yours have been the most forthright and pungent, despite repeated attempts by many virulent anti-NIDO individuals to silence you over your meritorious and selfless service as erstwhile NIDO Chairman over the years. In fact, the name "NIDO" invokes "Kassim" instantly, and that is a testimony to the fact that you hovered - and continue to hover - over NIDO like a colossus, despite the fact that you have long ceased to be its chairman. [That is why I have counselled you privately NOT to respond to anything NIDO again; hopefully the years in between will heal that association.]
Your major problem has been your episodic public, sometimes over-zealous patriotism and defence of Nigerian bureaucracy - leading to unfounded charges that you have private gain from such defence - and yet your constant private agony (at least to me) about the bureaucratic rot in our country, of which you have been a frequent victim, even over the unfortunate land issue which you should personally never have involved yourself with. I certify to your utter integrity - but episodic naivete on Nigerian matters. Nigeria is an unforgiving environment, even for the selflessly patriotic.
But you are learning.
Mr. Wale Adedayo:
Your "testimony" below - which Eric called "SOP" (standard operating procedure) - based on your being erstwhile Chief Press Secretary (?) of Governor Gbenga Daniel of Ogun State, supremo defender of the "status quo" there until you yourself became a victim of the "king's court" and nearly lost your life - is instructive. I laughed at the unknown "Black Book" of Records of donations used to blackmail the unwary visitor, like the book of the Madame of Brothels in New York used to blackmail politicians. It reminds me of the story in the Bible when Jesus Christ (ostensibly) wrote on the sand with his fingers the sins of those who were attempting to stone that harlot...each of them slinked away when they read their otherwise hidden sins!
I believe that it is the truth and the whole truth about the cultural customariness of these "gifts" but which, in one thousand and one climes, would (like Ola and Fubara stated) qualify as "bribes". [I remember growing up that we used to love visitors to our home give us children a shilling here, a pound there, and detesting visitors that were stingy. My kids today still love generous visitors.] However, the fact, the very fact that most of the donations are made in the relative open shows that somehow in the Nigerian mentality, there is little or nothing seen to be wrong about it - the discussions on this Net shows the two-sidedeness to the very issue. The "Big Boss" may, for example, reject it, but he may demand that you remember his underlings!
In fact, there are so many things done in the open in Nigeria that I often exhale "What the....?"
But the questions that must be asked are:
(i) who determines the amount of the gift - including whether a gift should be offered at all - and in what denomination would it be considered rude or not rude?
(ii) in what government account are these donations written - security vote? - and are they receipted? Or are these private gifts?
(iii) how do we know that the actual "handler" of the money to the visitor delivered "everything", especially when the receiver did not ask for a specific amount?
(iv) without receipt, if the receiver refuses, how do we know that the handler has "restored" everything that was supposed to be given out?
These may be superfluous questions at this stage, but I must tell you that it is difficult to live a righteous life in Nigeria, and to even begin to think about navigating it is difficult for this distant person - yours truly.
And there you have it.
I have a mind to move on.....but with lessons learnt.
Bolaji Aluko
_________________________________________________________________________________--
From ericayoola@... wrote:
This is one of the reasons why Matto will be recorded in history as an agent of change in Nigeria and for being the Asiwaju of Enlightenment and Discourse for creating and setting up this forum. God bless you.
And Mr Adedayo, many many thanks for enlightening us even further as per the inner workings of the Nigerian Government, God bless you too.
Which comes back to my suggestion made earlier and repeated here again. The money should have been collected and declared publicly immediately by the SNG. The President "thanked" for making this customary gesture and promptly donated to a charity.
This is not just "Dressage" as Edo Degenaration calls it, but an action that would have nipped in the bud any allegation of bribe being given or being accepted and above all, a needy cause would have been ever so grateful for the millions so donated.
As per Mr Adedayo's recount of the 4 SOP, the $50000 will not be returned to state coffers to be spent on refurbishing part of the Bini-Ore road, would it?, rather it would be given to less principled visitors to the Rock the very next day, that's all.
Let's try to think outside the box for once. The choice in the past has always been between accepting the money and sticking it in your pocket or turning it down. In future if you find yourself at Ars O Rock and you are given an envelope, if you are greedy and unprincipled you will pocket it for sure, but if like Messers Bakare and Odumakin, you are principled and upright, please accept the envelope with thanks and publicly give it to charity promptly and in full glare of the press.
That is what I will do.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
From: Wale Adedayo adedayowale@...
Sender:
NaijaPolitics@yahoogroups.com Date: Wed, 1 Dec 2010 07:18:07
To:
NIgerianWorldForum@yahoogroups.com Reply-To:
NaijaPolitics@yahoogroups.com Cc:
nigeria360@yahoogroups.com;
naijapolitics@yahoogroups.com;
TalkNigeria@yahoogroups.com; Omo
OoduaOmoOdua@yahoogroups.com Subject: [NaijaPolitics] Re: Jonathan’s Bribe: Eye-Witness Account (Some explanations)
Fubara:
I am disappointed that none of the SAs to Governors, Ministers and the
President, who are on these listserv, tried to explain certain basic facts.
But let me help, given my experience in office:
1. The offer of cash by highly placed public officials to VIP guests after a
meeting is not new in Nigeria. In fact, it is Standard Operating Procedure
(SOP).
2. Local Government Chairmen do it, regularly. Commissioners at the state
level often do it too. Of course, some are stingy and keep all the money to
themselves. Governors do it. Same with our state legislators and their
senior colleagues in the National Assembly up to the President of Nigeria.
3. In a lot of ways, it is a cultural thing. How can an Emir/Obi/Oba visit
you and he goes back empty handed? Check out visits by big people who are
not businessmen to those listed above, you'll see what I mean. And it is
ALWAYS cash!
4. But there is a big BUT ... while LG Chairmen, Commissioners, Governors,
state and National Assembly members offer their 'transport' gift in naira,
that of the President, Ministers and the top echelon of the National
Assembly is in US dollars.
5. It is a practice that has been there since God knows when.
6. It has even been established that a number of VIPs visit and do not
collect. But that does not mean some amount is not entered against their
names in the ledger. I read somewhere here that a record should be kept.
Yes, records are being kept. But not one of those 'collecting' know about
it. They don't need to sign for it. But EVERY penny given out like that is
being recorded. That is for sure. It is possible that is one of the reasons
an FOI may not see the light of the day in Nigeria, because a lot of people
will faint upon seeing their names and the amounts against it!
7. Most of these 'gifts' come from 'Security Votes'. When the 'Security
Vote' is depleted, Ministers or Commissioners with heavy finances enter the
fray and do the needful on behalf of their principal. But ALL these records
are kept, which is why it is very easy to blackmail a sizable number of
vocal people. You'll see them write and talk about corruption or bad
governance for some time. But at some point, they just go on holiday. And
upon their return, they suddenly 'understand the situation better'. It is
very likely such a person have been made to see 'The Book of Accounts.' The
person will be born again after that, watching whatever they say or write.
7. Concerning the SNG, and as pointed out before by Dr. Ola Kassim and Prof.
Aluko, in the future such visits should be made public either before or
immediately after.
Wale Adedayo
_______________________________________________________________________________-
From: OlaKassimMD@...
Dear Fubara:
I share your frustration on this issue. The Aso Rock incident involving the prinicpals
of the SNG, its aftermath`and our individual and collective reactions to the
incident are symptomatic of what Nigeria has become-- a totally immoral and decadent
society in which both the rulers and the majority of the ruled have lost almost all
sense about what is right or wrong and what is decent or indecent. The legal luminary
Prince Ajibola lamented our moral state in a speech he delivered about one year ago.
I couldn't agree with him more!
Nigeria is now a nation where the citizens are unable to tell the difference between
what is offered as a gift and what is offered as a bribe.
Regardless of the intention of the giver/offerer, the majority
voice in decent communities in most jurisdictions throughout would probably
not have had any difficulties in condemning this act.
Yet, as Nigerians we remain divided about the amoral underpinnings of this
ugly incident. Some are busy rationalizing this indecent transaction-- offering their
support on the basis of their ethnic affliation with the players in the interaction,
whilst others are blaming the SNG for returning the money. Others based on ethinic
and other affiliations can see no evil on the part of the SNG no matter what..
One netter--I believe Eric Ayoola even suggested that the money should have been
kept and receipted by the SNG and deployed to run its programs. I refuse to accept this idea of the end
justifying the means. Such warped mentality is at the root of the mess we have created
for ourselves in Nigeria.
As Dominic Ogbonna observed yesterday, If the amount of $50,000..00 was meant as a gift
--we need to ask how often this kind of gift is offered to visitors at Aso Rock not only under the GEJ regime, but under previous administrations
If this is an official gift from the government of Nigeria and the
President was acting on behalf of the citizens, we must ask under which expense
account this amount and similar ones are being dispensed to visitors to Aso Rock.
If on the other hand it is a personal gift from the President, the Press on behalf of
the citizens of Nigeria should be asking how the President became so rich, that
he could dispense such sums of money from his official salary. But no one is asking!
If on the other this was meant as a bribe, (a scenario already denied by the Presidency)
then a crime has been committed on the part of the Presidency.
As I have pointed out in all my submissions, the fact that the dirty money was promptly returned
to the sender completely absolves the SNG of either having committed a criminal offence or a moral
sin, even if their handling of the aftermath leaves much to be desired. The return of the illicit funds represents the
silver lining in the black cloud of this ugly transaction.
There seems to be just as much confusion about the nature of the transaction even within the leadership
of the SNG. One half of the leadership has insinuated that the offer was a bribe--without really using the word
bribe or graft ( "as they would not ordinarily have wanted to embarrass the Presidency")--
paraphrasing Yinka Odumakin), while the other half, Pastor Tunde Bakare has publicly declared that the money was a GIFT, (specifically reimbursement for transportation--bus or air ticket expenses). in Yoruba culture this practice is referred to as--Owo Irinse as we were reminded by Sister Triple A yesterday. However there exists a reasonable limit] amongst the Yoruba about what amounts are acceptable as Owo Irinse, regardless of how wealthy the giver is and how needy'the recipient is respectively. In other words $50,000.00 is too much for Owo Irinse!
In a nation in which close to half of her 150 million citizens live in abject poverty, Nigerians
must ask the President about the justification for this kind of largesse and where the money is
coming from.
If the money is for air transportation alone--it is certainly more than what is required
for the travel expenses of the 20 or so delegates who attended the midnight meeting at Aso Rock.
If it was meant to pay for their time (i.e. compensation for loss of income on the time spent visiting
Aso Rock)--we must ask whether the Presidency has a written policy and a schedule that guides
such payments to visitors.
Either way one looks at this matter --gift or graft--I believe strongly that Aso Rock has a case to answer..
SNG, in all fairness does not have any case to answer.
Even more disappointing is our individual and collective responses to this incident. Just like Nigerians
at home, the netters (if indeed we are an accurate representation of the entire Diaspora) are also equally
divided regarding the nature of this transaction. I sincerely doubt if citizens of many other nations
would be in as much quandary as we have been in telling the difference between a GIFT and a BRIBE
and once this is decided about the appropriateness of such offers in official engagements.
There is certainly no doubt that any amount, small or large doled out in this manner either as gift or bribe
and in whatever currency represents a missed opportunity for fellow Nigerians. These are funds that should have been spent on healthcare and education and in providing other essential services for the citizens of Nigeria.
The SNG is no longer the issue in this matter; I believe that they have absolved themselves of
any guilt by returning the brown envelope containing $50,000.00 intact.
Rather the moral burden on this matter remains with the Presidency. The buck stops at the president's
desk!
Bye,
Ola
________________________________________________________________________________________________
On 1 December 2010 03:31, Fubara David-West davidwest62@... wrote:
I do not know if other readers now understand what this "bribe" was
supposed to be buying.
This group had a meeting with the president, during which the president's
performance in office was discussed. After the meeting, someone passed on
some money (the bribe?), to the group. Why would the president's men do
that? Is this something that Nigerian presidents do, under normal
circumstances? Otherwise, why would the president's assistants think that
the Bakare group should be paid some money? Was this an attempt to buy the
silence of a vocal critic?
I thank you.
Fubara David-West.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Jonathan's $50,000 Bribe: Another SNG Delegate Provides More Details As Orubebe Issues Denial
By SaharaReporters, New York
Yinka Odumakin, an official of Save Nigeria Group (SNG), has provided more details about the $50,000 bribe the government of President Goodluck Jonathan had tried to offer the group, but which was rejected.
Saharareporters had earlier reported that the Jonathan administration had offered the cash after SNG officials led by Pastor Tunde Bakare met with the president in Aso Rock to discuss the group's disappointment with the state of the nation. After Tony Uranta, an aide of Jonathan's, denied our original report, Pastor Bakare granted us an exclusive interview to confirm that the bribe had been offered, but that his group had spurned the inducement.
The story of what transpired when the Save Nigeria Group met with Jonathan and his team last Monday further unfolded today as Mr. Odumakin, who was a member of the SNG delegation, explained how Minister of the Niger Delta, Godsday Orubebe, offered the cash to the delegates.
Narrating his case earlier today on naijapolitics, a popular listerv, Mr. Odumakin wrote as follows: "After the meeting with the President, he left the wing where we met for another [wing] and said 'please don't go yet I'm coming'. Sensing what that could [mean] we headed for our cars…We would have left before Orubebe emerged from the president with a brown envelope but for the fact that the drivers were not allowed to stay in the cars."
Odumakin further explained: "Before we could drive off he [Orubebe] brought the 'gift' from the President and he said so. We rejected the money instantly but he was persistent. Wisdom dictated we couldn't be creating scene at the [Aso Rock] villa gate after midnight."
"We headed to our hotel and called Mr. Tony Uranta to come up with us. We then called Orubebe and put him on speaker to let him know that we are returning the money through Uranta back to him and to the president. Mr. Uranta then said that he appreciated our integrity."
Mr. Odumakin revealed that the $50,000 came in "five bundles and all $100". He added that, in order to guarantee that the money was returned to source, they also called Oronto Douglas, a senior adviser to Jonathan, to inform him of their action.
"We had moved on and we ordinarily would not have embarrassed the Presidency on this matter," Mr. Odumakin further wrote, adding, "But 48 hours after the visit Saharareporters called to inquire if we visited Jonathan, which we confirmed. We then learnt that the meeting leaked through the other party. At that point, it became clear that some people were out to do some dirty job. It was later revealed to us that the story that was actually sold was that we collected money from the Presidency."
Meanwhile, Mr. Orubebe today sent Saharareporters a rejoinder about the affair. Curiously, the minister's rejoinder provided little clarification about his involvement in handing out the controversial cash.
Below is Mr. Orubebe's full statement:
NO REASON TO BRIBE SNG, SAYS ORUBEBE
........
_____________________________________________________________________
"No Reason To Bribe SNG", Says Orubebe
By Elder Peter Godsday Orubebe
I have read, with a deep sense of shock and disappointment,
allegations made against me in an on-line medium, claiming that I
attempted to bribe the leadership of the Save Nigeria Group, SNG,
after a visit with the president.
I find these allegations deeply distressing, and I am certain that the
highly respected Pastor Tunde Bakare must have been quoted out of
context. I am forced to react to these allegations only because I
would consider it an insult for anyone to attempt to bribe someone of
that stature, visiting with his group, and with, of all sums, 50,000
dollars.
True, a bribe is a bribe, no matter the sum. This is the reason why I
am all the more concerned and worried about these claims. What I
however find intriguing is that there is absolutely no reason to bribe
the Save Nigeria Group. When the body on its own volition rose to
challenge the sense of drift that had befallen the country over the
illness of our late leader, Mallam Umaru Musa Yar'adua, did anyone
bribe them?
So it is hard to believe that any right thinking person would attempt
to do so now. If a bribe is intended to induce someone to either do
something, or to refrain from doing it, what in objective terms would
I need to bribe the SNG for at this time?
This is a false story that should be dismissed by all right thinking persons.
Elder Peter Godsday Orubebe,
Hon. Minister,
Ministry of Niger Delta.
29th November 2010.
_________________________________________________________________
President Jonathan Offered Us $50,000 Bribe, But We Returned It - Pastor Tunde Bakare Confirms
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