Reps To Sue Online Publication Over $10 Million Bribe Allegation

Zainab Sanni

The House of Representatives has reached a resolution  to take legal action against an online media organisation for what it believes is a weighty allegation of bribery of $10million, allegedly given the House to pass the Infectious Disease Control Bill.

The Deputy Speaker of the House, Ahmed Wase, who had moved the motion of Personal Explanation at plenary on Tuesday said an online media organisation had published a report alleging that the House collected $10million from Bill Gates to pass the Contentious Infectious Disease Control Bill.

Wase said he had not collected any money from anyone and was aware that no member had collected money from anyone for that purpose.

Minority Leader Ndudi Elumelu told his colleagues that he read on an online news platform, Daily Post, that Bill Gates, an American philanthropist and billionaire, gave the Green Chamber $10million to pass the bill.

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“By the time the Gates Foundation came to the House, we were all in attendance. I want to submit that we did not receive anything and I stand by it,” he said.

Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila said the action of the online media had given credence to the need to regulate social media and online publications.

He mandated the Clerk, Mr. Patrick Giwa, to liaise with the Majority Leader of the House and Legal Adviser to the National Assembly to begin legal action.

The House also set up an investigative panel headed by Henry Nwawuba to fish out those responsible for the damaging report. The panel is to report back to the House in 10 days.