Suspended consultant alleges Osun lawmakers demanded $5m bribe

• It’s a calculated blackmail against us, Assembly reacts
• Adeleke moves to involve EFCC, ICPC in recovering looted assets, funds

The consultant handling Ilesa Water Project, Mrs. Tawa Williams, yesterday, accused the Osun House of Assembly of demanding $5 million from her on the project.
Williams alleged that the Chairman, House Committee on Water Resources, Nasiru Olateju, demanded for the bribe on behalf of the House.

The consultant, who spoke while answering questions on Western Springs Television programme monitored by The Guardian in Osogbo, said the lawmakers had invited her and the team working on the site after inspecting and praising the quality of work done so far, before demanding for the ‘bribe.’

Williams also denied using a N75 million project vehicle as claimed by Governor Ademola Adeleke’s administration, saying that the project vehicle cost only N45 million as at the time it was purchased for her.
“As I am speaking with you, I am yet to be formally written to about the suspension. I only read it in the news. When I am formally notified, I will know what to do about the vehicle,” she said.

The consultant said that there was no corruption in the handling of the project fund.
Meanwhile, the Assembly, yesterday, described the bribery allegation by the consultant as calculated blackmail against the House.

Olateju denied demanding bribe from the project consultant.
Other lawmakers, who spoke during the plenary, said the allegation was laced with lies, saying that it was an attempt to disorganise the Assembly.
The Assembly Speaker, Timothy Owoeye, when contacted, said the parliament would never demand for cash or kind from anyone.

He said the allegation by the Ilesa Water Project consultant was scandalous and uncalled for just as he wondered why Williams, “who has no stake in Osun, would be given the contract of that nature.”
Relatedly, the state government has said that it is considering inviting the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) to recover looted funds and assets by the previous administration.

A close ally of the governor, Diran Odeyemi, said some of the appointees of former Governor Gboyega Oyetola administration had been secretly returning official vehicles that were carted away, adding that other measures, such as involving the police, Department of State Services (DSS), EFCC and ICPC would be considered to retrieve the assets from defaulting persons.