Olesegun Obasanjo is the grandfather of corruption in Nigeria – says-Reps

For describing the National Assembly as being peopled by a gang of unarmed robbers, the House of Representatives has lashed out at ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, calling him the grandfather of corruption.

The Reps described Obasanjo as the most corrupt Nigerian that ever held a public office, adding that he, however, saw himself as the only clean human being.

Specifically, the House called Obasanjo the “grandfather of corruption” in Nigeria. It added that a reason Obasanjo would never like the members of the National Assembly was the fact that they foiled his third term ambition in 2007 after taking his money and displaying it publicly to put him to shame.

The House accused Obasanjo of churning out outright lies and mischievous innuendos against the National Assembly. On Wednesday, Obasanjo had attacked the legislature on several fronts, including their salaries/allowances and the alleged diversion of constituency projects.

He had stated, “Once you are a member, you are co-opted and your mouth is stuffed with rottenness and corruption that you cannot opt out as you go home with not less than N15million in a month for a senator and N10m a month for a member of the House of Representatives. The National Assembly is a den of corruption by a gang of unarmed robbers.

“If the judiciary is being cleaned, what of the National Assembly, which stinks much worse than the judiciary? Budget padding must not go unpunished.

“It is a reality, which is a regular and systemic practice. Nobody should pull the wool over the eyes of Nigerians. Ganging up to intimidate and threaten the life of a whistle-blower is deplorable and undemocratic.’’

But, speaking through its Chairman, Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mr Abdulrazak Namdas, the House said Obasanjo first introduced corruption to the legislature in 1999 when he felt he must bribe legislators to have his way on every issue.

On corruption, Namdas noted, “Undoubtedly, former President Obasanjo is understandably angry with the National Assembly as an institution, having foiled his ambition for a third term in office even after trying to corrupt the members with a bribe of at least N50m each.