By Ola ‘Kiya, Reporting
THE National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said the various millions of naira paid into the accounts of some of its members are not bribes.
Reacting to the viral story, the NWC described the allegation as “misrepresenting reports alluding strange and unfounded motives to the Housing Allowance duly approved and paid to NWC members and staff of the party.”
The NWC, in a statement on Thursday signed by Hon. Debo Ologunagba, National Publicity Secretary, noted that “this misleading report stemmed from an unfounded publication by a particular media outlet which suggested that the Housing Allowance, an entitlement duly approved and paid to national officials and staff of the party amounted to bribery.”
“For the avoidance of doubt, the PDP states in an unequivocal term that no funds were paid into the account of any member of the NWC as bribe for any purpose whatsoever for that matter.
“To set the records straight, the Housing Allowance being referred to went through the Due Process of the party in line with the Conditions of Service and Entitlement of the Staff and Principal Officers of the party.
“If any individual, for any reason, decides to return the money duly approved and paid, such does not, in any way, suggest that the money was paid as bribe or indicate that it was illegitimate or unlawfully paid.
“A bribe is defined as “money or any other valuable consideration given or promised with a view to corrupting the behavior of a person especially in that person’s performance as a public official…
“This is not the case in the payment of Housing Allowance duly approved for officials and staff of the party,” the NWC.
PDP, therefore, urged all members, teeming supporters and the general public to “disregard the report and misleading insinuation which are clearly designed to malign the PDP to cause disaffection and distract our party from our mission to Rescue, Rebuild and Redirect our nation from the misrule of the All Progressives Congress (APC).”
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