Dangote: Kano Speaker bribery allegation embarrassing

Africa’s leading industrialist, Aliko Dangote has an
advice for the committee set up by the Kano State House of Assembly
to probe a bribery allegation against its former speaker: ‘Don’t
waste your time, it’s all falsehood’.

Dangote Group spokesman, Mr. Tony Chiejina said the allegation
has no foundation whatsoever and is an ‘outright falsehood”.

On 17 June, an online portal, DailyNigerian.com, ostensibly
fishing for traffic first published the unsubstantiated allegation
that Dangote gave the former Kano Assembly Speaker, Alhaji Kabiru
Rurum N100 million to kill a probe of Emir Muhammadu Sanusi.

The portal, with no address or names of its masterminds,
provided no evidence of the bribe. And it came after Governor
Abdullahi Ganduje had said the Assembly was prevailed upon by well
meaning Nigerians, led by the Acting President Yemi Osinbajo to
drop the investigation of the respected Emir over allegations of
financial misdeed.

Rurum responding to the allegation in an interview on 20 June,
described the story as false, designed to tarnish his image and
bring the whole Assembly into disrepute.

He gave DailyNigeria.com one week within which to retract the
report and apologise to the State Assembly or face legal
action.

According to him, the report is also targeted at creating
tension and chaos among the lawmakers and ridicule the personality
of Dangote.

`The story was just a fabrication, a tissue of lies and
unjustifiable, because there was never a time I met with Dangote to
discuss such issue, not to talk of him offering bribe to us.”

He said that the intervention of Acting President, Prof. Yemi
Osinbajo, Northern Governors and other notable Nigerians to stop
the probe was channeled through the state governor and not the
assembly.

“It is a tradition that when such things happened, the Governor
gets in touch with us as one of the three arms of government.

“Therefore, the governor forwarded his request letter appealing
for the suspension of the investigation on behalf of all the
concerned citizens.”

But it appeared fellow legislators believed the unsubstantiated
story by DailyNigerian.com, such that two weeks after, they went
for Rurum’s head, forcing him to resign on Monday 3 July.

Chiejina told NAN on Monday night that the allegation has been
’embarrassing’, to Dangote.

“Aliko Dangote does not even know the embattled speaker, Hon.
Kabiru Alhassan Rurum, let alone being his friend as alleged by the
report”, Chiejina said.

The Kano Assembly meanwhile has asked a five-man committee to
investigate the allegations against Rurum.

The new Speaker, Alhaji Abdullahi Atta, proposed the
investigation at the plenary. It was unanimously accepted by the
house.

Atta gave the committee, which has as the chairman, the Deputy
Chief Whip of the Assembly, Alhaji Muhammad Butu-Butu, a member
representing Rimin Gado/Tofa Constituency, three months to submit
its report.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the former speaker
had in his resignation letter said he resigned in order to protect
his image and that of his constituency over the corruption
allegations.

Rurum told newsmen after the plenary session,that he has urged
his colleagues to be fair and just while conducting their
investigation.

Africa’s leading industrialist, Aliko Dangote has an
advice for the committee set up by the Kano State House of Assembly
to probe a bribery allegation against its former speaker: ‘Don’t
waste your time, it’s all falsehood’.

Dangote Group spokesman, Mr. Tony Chiejina said the allegation
has no foundation whatsoever and is an ‘outright falsehood”.

On 17 June, an online portal, DailyNigerian.com, ostensibly
fishing for traffic first published the unsubstantiated allegation
that Dangote gave the former Kano Assembly Speaker, Alhaji Kabiru
Rurum N100 million to kill a probe of Emir Muhammadu Sanusi.

The portal, with no address or names of its masterminds,
provided no evidence of the bribe. And it came after Governor
Abdullahi Ganduje had said the Assembly was prevailed upon by well
meaning Nigerians, led by the Acting President Yemi Osinbajo to
drop the investigation of the respected Emir over allegations of
financial misdeed.

Rurum responding to the allegation in an interview on 20 June,
described the story as false, designed to tarnish his image and
bring the whole Assembly into disrepute.

He gave DailyNigeria.com one week within which to retract the
report and apologise to the State Assembly or face legal
action.

According to him, the report is also targeted at creating
tension and chaos among the lawmakers and ridicule the personality
of Dangote.

`The story was just a fabrication, a tissue of lies and
unjustifiable, because there was never a time I met with Dangote to
discuss such issue, not to talk of him offering bribe to us.”

He said that the intervention of Acting President, Prof. Yemi
Osinbajo, Northern Governors and other notable Nigerians to stop
the probe was channeled through the state governor and not the
assembly.

“It is a tradition that when such things happened, the Governor
gets in touch with us as one of the three arms of government.

“Therefore, the governor forwarded his request letter appealing
for the suspension of the investigation on behalf of all the
concerned citizens.”

But it appeared fellow legislators believed the unsubstantiated
story by DailyNigerian.com, such that two weeks after, they went
for Rurum’s head, forcing him to resign on Monday 3 July.

Chiejina told NAN on Monday night that the allegation has been
’embarrassing’, to Dangote.

“Aliko Dangote does not even know the embattled speaker, Hon.
Kabiru Alhassan Rurum, let alone being his friend as alleged by the
report”, Chiejina said.

The Kano Assembly meanwhile has asked a five-man committee to
investigate the allegations against Rurum.

The new Speaker, Alhaji Abdullahi Atta, proposed the
investigation at the plenary. It was unanimously accepted by the
house.

Atta gave the committee, which has as the chairman, the Deputy
Chief Whip of the Assembly, Alhaji Muhammad Butu-Butu, a member
representing Rimin Gado/Tofa Constituency, three months to submit
its report.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the former speaker
had in his resignation letter said he resigned in order to protect
his image and that of his constituency over the corruption
allegations.

Rurum told newsmen after the plenary session,that he has urged
his colleagues to be fair and just while conducting their
investigation.