Mukhtar Betara, the chairman of the House Committee on the Federal Capital Territory has denied reports that lawmakers of the Nigerian Senate and the House of Representatives received $15,000 and $10,000 respectively to approve the declaration of a State of Emergency in Rivers State.
Jafaar Jafaar, an investigative journalists in a post on X said the lawmaker denied that any member of the National Assembly was given money – in foreign currency – to support the State of Emergency proclamation made by President Bola Tinubu.
Betara, however, said lawmakers of the House of Representatives only received $5,000 as Sallah gifts and not as bribes or inducement to support the president’s decision over the political crisis that rocked Rivers State.
Although there was no mention of where the $5,000 as Sallah gift came from, Betara said the gesture was a long-standing tradition within the National Assembly and had no connection with the State of Emergency proclamation in Rivers.
Jafaar wrote on X, “The chairman of the House Committee on FCT, Mukhtar Aliyu Betara, has clarified to me that he only shared $5,000 to each member of his committee as a ‘Sallah Gesture’ not an inducement to support emergency rule in Rivers State.
” According to him, he maintains the tradition – like Santa Claus – every year. As we say in Hausa, not thigh but hind leg,” the journalist posted.
