A coalition known as the Global Centre for Conscious Living Against Corruption has debunked an allegation that a governorship aspirant in Cross River State, Senator Bassey Otu, was convicted of fraud while working with his former employer, the Mercantile Bank of Nigeria.
Director General of the coalition, Dr Nwambu Gabriel, in a statement in Abuja, said Senator Otu served his former employer meritoriously before he resigned his appointment to venture into politics.
Gabriel said the petition was orchestrated to mutilate the integrity of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant.
The statement reads, “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 unraveled as follows: That the name of the individual who purportedly signed the petition is nonexistent. That the address used by the petitioner does not exist in reality. In other words, it was a fabricated address.
“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 examplary conduct and dedication to duty.
“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.
“That Senator Otu is a graduate of Social Sciences from University of Calabar. That Senator Otu has served as a two-term Member of House of Representatives for Calabar Municipal/Odukpani between May 2003 and May 2011. He has also served as a Senator representing Southern Senatorial District of Cross River State from June 2011 to June 2015.
“That Senator Otu has contested election in 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2019 respectively. He has been consistently screened by all the relevant agencies of Government.
“From the forgoing, 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 other word, Otu should be commended for his selfless and exemplary leadership style.
“We want to enjoin Nigerians and indeed all persons aspiring for public position 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.”