I have read, with a deep sense of shock and disappointment, allegations made against me in an on-line medium, claiming that I attempted to bribe the leadership of the Save Nigeria Group, SNG, after a visit with the president.

I find these allegations deeply distressing, and I am certain that the highly respected Pastor Tunde Bakare must have been quoted out of context. I am forced to react to these allegations only because I would consider it an insult for anyone to attempt to bribe someone of that stature, visiting with his group, and with, of all sums, 50,000 dollars.

True, a bribe is a bribe, no matter the sum. This is the reason why I am all the more concerned and worried about these claims. What I however find intriguing is that there is absolutely no reason to bribe the Save Nigeria Group. When the body on its own volition rose to challenge the sense of drift that had befallen the country over the illness of our late leader, Mallam Umaru Musa Yar’adua, did anyone bribe them?

So it is hard to believe that any right thinking person would attempt to do so now.  If a bribe is intended to induce someone to either do something, or to refrain from doing it, what in objective terms would I need to bribe the SNG for at this time?

This is a false story that should be dismissed by all right thinking persons.

Elder Peter Godsday Orubebe,

Hon. Minister,

Ministry of Niger Delta.

29th November, 2010.

Related Story

President Jonathan Offered Us $50,000 Bribe, But We Returned It - Pastor Tunde
Bakare Confirms

Posted: November 29, 2010 - 00:42

By SaharaReporters, New York

Fiery Lagos-based pastor, Tunde Bakare, has confirmed to Saharareporters that
President Goodluck Jonathan provided a $50,000 cash bribe to a delegation of the Save Nigeria Group that visited him last Monday, but that the group sent back the money.
Pastor Bakare’s confirmation came in the midst of a tepid denial of our earlier
report by Tony Uranta, one of Mr. Jonathan's political operatives. Uranta had
claimed on his Facebook page yesterday that Saharareporters misrepresented the
crux of the meeting between the president and the Pastor Bakare-led delegation.
Specifically, Uranta denied that Jonathan discussed his ambition to run for
office with the SNG delegation. He also stated that no money was offered to the
SNG team and claimed that, contrary to our earlier report, the Bakare group had
not asked him to return the bribe money to Jonathan.
But in a telephone interview with Saharareporters on Sunday evening, Pastor
Bakare confirmed that the details of our earlier exclusive report were factual
and unimpeachable.
Bakare, who has a reputation for speaking out fearlessly on current political
issues, affirmed that the Minister of the Niger Delta, Godsday Orubebe, had
offered the SNG delegation the sum of $50,000 on behalf of President Jonathan.
The SNG had met with Jonathan to review his performance in office.
In the phone interview, Pastor Bakare stated categorically that his team was
indeed offered money after it submitted a position paper on why it was opposed
to the president's ambition to be re-elected. He confirmed that the cash was
immediately returned to sender through Uranta, shortly after it was presented to the SNG delegation.
The SNG convener told Saharareporters that his team felt terribly embarrassed
and offended by the orchestrated attempt by Jonathan and his team to buy the
SNG’s support through illicit means.
An obviously angry Bakare said, “You can quote me. I don't do deals and I don't
lie. Tony [Uranta] could be saving his own face. Tony lied that he didn't
collect the money from us. There are living witnesses. Orubebe has confirmed to
me that the money was returned. Mr. President is aware through Oronto Douglas
that we returned his money through Tony.”
Bakare said he, Yinka Odumakin and other SNG officials went to the meeting with
Jonathan with a written document that explained why the SNG would not support
his candidacy.
“We submitted a document regarding the culture of impunity in which he
(Jonathan) continues to swim," he said.
As Saharareporters had exclusively reported, Jonathan sought a meeting with the
Save Nigeria Group to discuss his ambition to run for office after it dawned on
him that former Vice President Abubakar Atiku, the consensus candidate chosen by the so-called Northern Political Elders Forum, was going to present a stiff
political challenge.
A close aide to Mr. Jonathan told Saharareporters that, whilst Atiku is steeped
in corruption, the president was also aware that the Atiku group had a dossier
on corrupt deals by both Jonathan, his wife and his close associates and
advisors, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
After Bakare made his presentation and accused Jonathan of having abused the
goodwill offered him by Nigerians, the president tried to buy the group’s
loyalty by giving its officials $50,000 through Orubebe.
An Abuja-based democratic activist told Saharareporters that, by attempting to
buy the SNG's support, Mr. Jonathan had “exposed himself to charges of hypocrisy and doing the opposite of what he preaches.”

In a speech on Saturday, Mr. Jonathan had urged Nigerians to ignore politicians
who seek to win elections by offering money to groups and individuals.
The president gave the do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do sermon at the 2010 graduation
ceremony of the Senior Executive Course 32 of the National Institute for Policy
and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) in Kuru, Plateau State. Vice President Namadi
Sambo represented the president at the event and read the speech on Jonathan’s
behalf.