On Friday September 20, President
Goodluck Jonathan relieved two of his Special Advisers of their
positions. Affected were Mrs Joy Emordi, for National Assembly and Dr
Tunji Olagunju for New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD). No
reason was given for their sack.
A source, however, confided in Sunday
Trust over the weekend that Emordi’s removal was not unconnected with
the bribe-for-impeachment drama that allegedly rocked the House of
Representatives a day earlier.
There were reports last week that the president’s aides were going round the House distributing $25,000 to each member who was willing to cooperate in the quest to impeach the Speaker.
Following media disclosure of the bribery scandal, President Jonathan was understood to have, later in the day, gathered some trusted members of his cabinet to discuss the scandal. Those at the meeting included Emordi and the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison-Madueke, among others.
Emordi has, however, said she was not involved in the alleged bribery. Speaking to Sunday Trust in Abuja yesterday, the former Special Adviser denied awareness that money was being given to the Representatives in a purported move to impeach Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal. Her statement didn’t entirely rule out the bribery allegation, though.
“They do a lot of things without passing through my office. No money has ever passed through my office. I don’t know anything about it. They do a lot of things without my knowledge,” she said.
Emordi, also once a senator herself, declared: “ I have never brought any money to the National Assembly. If they brought money to members, they know who brought it but not me. I won’t encourage anybody to do that.”
She also denied reports that she had a shouting match with the Minister of Petroleum Resources as a result of which she was relieved of her appointment on Friday: “I have never fought with Diezani. She is my friend and we only meet during expanded meetings. She is not a member of the National Assembly caucus.”
Senator Emordi also said a report in a national daily suggesting that she got the boot because she was not hard on members of the National Assembly was wrong. “How will I be hard on members? I won’t be hard on members, I was there as a member of the House and a senator. I always use diplomacy and dialogue. It is not by fighting that you achieve anything. During my time, I never lost any executive bill,” she explained.
There were reports last week that the president’s aides were going round the House distributing $25,000 to each member who was willing to cooperate in the quest to impeach the Speaker.
Following media disclosure of the bribery scandal, President Jonathan was understood to have, later in the day, gathered some trusted members of his cabinet to discuss the scandal. Those at the meeting included Emordi and the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison-Madueke, among others.
Emordi has, however, said she was not involved in the alleged bribery. Speaking to Sunday Trust in Abuja yesterday, the former Special Adviser denied awareness that money was being given to the Representatives in a purported move to impeach Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal. Her statement didn’t entirely rule out the bribery allegation, though.
“They do a lot of things without passing through my office. No money has ever passed through my office. I don’t know anything about it. They do a lot of things without my knowledge,” she said.
Emordi, also once a senator herself, declared: “ I have never brought any money to the National Assembly. If they brought money to members, they know who brought it but not me. I won’t encourage anybody to do that.”
She also denied reports that she had a shouting match with the Minister of Petroleum Resources as a result of which she was relieved of her appointment on Friday: “I have never fought with Diezani. She is my friend and we only meet during expanded meetings. She is not a member of the National Assembly caucus.”
Senator Emordi also said a report in a national daily suggesting that she got the boot because she was not hard on members of the National Assembly was wrong. “How will I be hard on members? I won’t be hard on members, I was there as a member of the House and a senator. I always use diplomacy and dialogue. It is not by fighting that you achieve anything. During my time, I never lost any executive bill,” she explained.
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