Anti-Corruption Coalition Berets Petitioner On Allegation Against Senator Bassey Otu

The Global Centre for Conscious Living Against Corruption has bereted one Bala I. Dakum for petitioning Senator Bassey Otu who is an APC Governorship aspirant in Cross River State.

According to the anti-corruption organisation’s Director-General, Dr Nwambu Gabriel, he said that the name of the individual who purportedly signed the petition is non-existent and the address used by the petitioner does not exist in reality. In other words, it was a fabricated address.

“Senator Bassey Edet Otu served his former employer meritoriously before he resigned his appointment to venture into politics. Senator Otu was even bestowed with a meritorious service award by his former employer for his exemplary conduct and dedication to duty, Dr Nwambu Gabriel said.

An excerpt is the full text of the press statement:

Good morning gentlemen of the fourth realm. Welcome to this press briefing.

On the 14th of May, 2022, a petition addressed to the state screening committee of the APC, Cross River state purportedly signed by one Bala I. Dakum had alleged that Senator Bassey Otu who is a Governorship aspirant in Cross River State had been convicted of fraud while working with his former employer, Mercantile Bank of Nigeria Plc. In other words, the petitioner claimed that this alleged offence is in contravention of the provisions of section 182 (e) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

Sequel to the determination of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to combat corruption in Nigeria, the Global Centre for Conscious Living Against Corruption (A Coalition of 13 Anti-Corruption CSOs), decided to conduct a clinical, very thorough, independent verification and fact-finding exercise to ascertain the veracity and facts of this grave allegation.

Consequently, our coalition unravelled as follows:

1. That the name of the individual who purportedly signed the petition is non-existent.

2. That the address used by the petitioner does not exist in reality. In other words, it was a fabricated address.

3. That Senator Bassey Edet Otu served his former employer meritoriously before he resigned his appointment to venture into politics. Senator Otu was even bestowed with a meritorious service award by his former employer for his exemplary conduct and dedication to duty.

4. That Distinguished Senator Edet Otu was never accused of any allegation bothering on fraud, was never convicted and therefore has not contravened section 182 (e) as alleged by the ghost petitioner.

5. That Senator Otu is a graduate of Social Sciences from the University of Calabar.

6. That Senator Otu has served as a two-term Member of the House of Representatives for Calabar Municipal/Odukpani between May 2003 and May 2011. He has also served as a Senator representing the Southern Senatorial District of Cross River State from June 2011 to June 2015.

7. That Senator Otu has contested elections in 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2019 respectively. He has been consistently screened by all the relevant agencies of Government.

From the foregoing, it becomes evident that this fiction exists only in the mind of the author of this script which was orchestrated, premeditated, designed to mutilate the impeccable integrity of Distinguished Senator Bassey Edet Otu who has served this nation meritoriously, performed creditably well, and has made his mark in banking and public service respectively. In another world, Otu should be commended for his selfless and exemplary leadership style.

We want to enjoin Nigerians and indeed all persons aspiring for public positions of trust to face the realities of politics rather than the ‘Pull Him Down Syndrome’ which is inimical to deepening democracy in Nigeria but sadly has dominated our political space.

Thank You.