The Consultant handling the Ilesa Water Project in Osun State, Tawa Williams, has accused members of the Osun State House of Assembly of demanding $5 million bribe from her or they would blackmail her for poor quality of work.
The Consultant spoke after Governor Ademola Adeleke suspended her and requested for accountability on the project.
This followed allegations by the State Asset Recovery Committee put in place by Adeleke that she mismanaged $106 million and went away with a N70 million bulletproof SUV.
Responding to the allegations on Western Nigeria Television, a private television station in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, Williams alleged that the legislators demanded $5 million after the tenure of former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, but she refused to part with the money.
The Consultant also faulted the state government for making the allegations without visiting the site, saying the asset recovery committee was asking her irrelevant questions when she appeared before them because they did not study the report given to them.
She said: “I do not have any bulletproof car that is worth N70 million.
“I have an ordinary jeep that was given to me by the government and when it was given to me, it was worth N45 million.
“The government that claimed there is nothing to show for the money spent on the project has never visited the site of the project.
“I was only invited by the asset recovery committee of the government and they were asking me questions that are not related to the project.
“The report that was given to them in respect of the project was not studied by them.
“I don’t know who told them that N10 billion has no value.
“The House is asking for $5 million and I said I don’t have $5 million to give to anybody.
“They are asking for takeaway bribes or else they will go to the media and blackmail us that the quality of work done is not good.
“It did not come from the House as a whole, but the House Committee on Water Supply with its chairman.
“I told them that I only have money to do the job.
“The demand was made after the exit of Oyetola as the governor.
“They invited the contractors and they are threatening them that they will move to the site to disrupt the work.”
However, the Speaker of the Assembly, Timothy Owoeye, has faulted the claim by Williams.
In a statement by his Media Aide, Kunle Alabi, Owoeye said: “Osun House of Assembly will never ask any agency of government or individual for any gratification before it adequately discharge its constitutional duties.
“The House of Assembly under the leadership of Timothy Owoeye has given Tawa Williams 24 hours to retract her bribery allegation against the committee of the Assembly, her failure to do that within the said hours, the Assembly shall be forced to seek redress in court as no amount of blackmail will stop the Assembly from playing its constitutional role.”
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