(Premium Times) – Under fire Director General of the Security and Exchange Commission, Arunma Oteh, fought back fiercely today after being accused by lawmakers for abusing her office and embarking on limitless spending.
Today, Ms. Oteh said the lawmakers are furious at her because she turned down the request of the chairman, House capital market committee, Hernan Hembe, for a N44million tip.
Ms Oteh said the lawmaker first asked for N39 million to defray the cost of the ongoing public hearing, and when she denied, the chairman asked for N5million.
That was in addition to the commission sponsoring a foreign trip for members of the committee, and paying them estacodes.
The hefty accusations have unsettled the mood at the hearing, which is being beamed live on television, and lawmakers are scrambling to play down the concerns.
After the allegations were made, Mr. Hembe asked to identify representatives of the EFCC and the ICPC at the hearing, and said he was surrendering himself to their probe over the charges.
Lawmakers discussed informally the possibilties of containing the news, with senior members questioning why the event was screened live in the first instance.
Premium Times could not ascertain the veracity of Ms. Oteh’s allegation against the lawmaker but sources close to her said she arrived the hearing today fuming and threatening that she would unsettle the lawmakers and make them pay dearly for humiliating her Wednesday.
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