…says nothing scandalous about N92m NWC rent refunds

John Alechenu, Abuja
Immediate past National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan has described the party as Nigeria’s last hope for a secure and prosperous nation in the light of the “disastrous” outing of the outgoing All Progressives Congress administration.

Ologbondiyan equally dismissed speculations that the over N92 million returned by some members of the party’s National Working Committee, on Thursday was a bribe.

The former PDP Spokesperson told Saturday Vanguard that the party has evolved since its inception in 1998.

According to him, the party made mistakes in the last but that it had since learnt from those mistakes and is now better prepared to give Nigerians the best form of leadership with Atiku Abubakar and Ifeanyi Okowa on the saddle.

He said, “Nigerians now know better. We all have experienced the deprivation, the hunger, insecurity, unrivaled corruption which the APC represents.

“Those who were privileged to experience life in Nigeria under the 16 prosperous years of the PDP, are clamouring for a return of the decorum and purposeful leadership which we brought to bear on governance. “

Commenting on the drama which attended the refund of rent allowance paid out to some members of the National Working Committee, Ologbondiyan said it was an attempt to make a mountain out of a molehill.

He said, “There is no issue there. The housing allowance was legitimately earned, it was not strange as some persons would want to make the public believe.

“Members of the NWC which I was privileged to be a part of at some point in the life of our party does pay salaries to members.

“The decision to pay members rent allowance was reached at a meeting attended by most members.

“I find it completely strange that some people are trying to make it look like a bribe.

“ I am yet to hear anyone come out to say he or she was not party of the meeting.”
Recall that 6 members of the NWC refunded various sums of money ranging from N28m to N36 million said to be rent sent to their accounts.

They had in separate letters alleged that the payments were suspicious and had caused them to respond to scrutiny from various quarters following a news report that the money was paid to buy their silence over an alleged N10bn scandal.

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