'We Were Not Offered Bribe' Rev.Tunde Bakare

Rev. Tunde Bakare, senior pastor of Latter Rain Assembly, and convener of Save Nigeria Group (SNG), has denied claim by Sahara reporters that fifty thousand dollars was offered to members of the group as bribe in exchange for their support, during a recent visit with President Goodluck Jonathan. In a telephone conversation with huhuonline.com, Rev Bakare said, 'we visited the president, we made our position known to him, and were offered transport money, but we rejected it,based on integrity. 'It was not a bribe', he affirmed

  When asked about the alleged Fifty thousand dollars he allegedly returned to the Presidency, Mr.Tony Uranta told huhuonline.com that he did not see any money before, during or after the meeting, and that at no time was money exchanged.

  Mr. Uranta lambasted the alleged bribery saga, calling it a distortion of facts.

  Our checks reveal that besides Pastor Bakare, other members of SNG present at the meeting were Mr.Odumakin , Mr. Agbaje, and Mr.Adeshoye.President Jonathan`s team included Elder Peter Godsday Orubebe and Tony Uranta .

  The alleged bribe giver, Elder Peter Godsday Orubebe, in press statement made available to huhuonline.com said, he had no reason to bribe Save Nigeria Group.   Elder Orubebe, who is the incumbent minister of Niger Delta Ministry, opined that 'he find these allegations deeply distressing, and he is certain that the

highly respected Pastor Tunde Bakare must have been quoted out of context'

  Hear him:  
  ' I have read, with a deep sense of shock and disappointment, allegations made against me in an on-line medium, claiming that I attempted to bribe the leadership of the Save Nigeria Group, SNG,

after a visit with the president'.
  'I find these allegations deeply distressing, and I am certain that the highly respected Pastor Tunde Bakare must have been quoted out of context. I am forced to react to these allegations only because I would consider it an insult for anyone to attempt to bribe someone of that stature, visiting with his group, and with, of all sums, 50,000

dollars'.
  'True, a bribe is a bribe, no matter the sum. This is the reason why I am all the more concerned and worried about these claims. What I however find intriguing is that there is absolutely no reason to bribe the Save Nigeria Group. When the body on its own volition rose to challenge the sense of drift that had befallen the country over the illness of our late leader, Mallam Umaru Musa Yar'adua, did anyone bribe them'?

  'So it is hard to believe that any right thinking person would attempt to do so now.  If a bribe is intended to induce someone to either do something, or to refrain from doing it, what in objective terms would I need to bribe the SNG for at this time'?

 
'This is a false story that should be dismissed by all right thinking persons'.