Infectious Disease Bill: Bill Gates denies offering $10m bribe to Nigerian lawmakers
- Bill Gates has denied reports claiming he offered a $10 million bribe to Nigeria's House of Representatives to ensure the passage of the infectious diseases bill
- Gates made the denial through the country representative of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Dr Pauliu Basinga
- The House of Reps has also given the spokesman of the CUPP Thursday ultimatum to appear before it to present his evidence of Gates' bribing the lawmakers
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Popular American billionaire and philanthropist, Bill Gates, has denied media reports claiming he offered a $10 million incentive to Nigeria's House of Representatives to ensure the passage of the controversial Control of Infectious Diseases Bill, 2020.
Gates denied the reports through the country representative of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Dr Pauliu Basinga, The Guardian reports.
The philanthropist said there was no interaction in whatever means between him or his foundation and the House of Reps.
He said "such allegations are entirely false and without merit".
“To be clear, the foundation has not offered any financial incentives to any member of Nigeria’s legislative branch for the passage of legislation nor has it offered any grants to organisations in Nigeria in connection with the same,” he stated.
Source: UGC
Meanwhile, the House of Reps committee probing the alleged bribery has invited the spokesman of the Coalition of United Political Parties, (CUPP), Ikenga Ugochinyere, to present the evidence of the alleged inducement.
Ugochinyere was given up till this Thursday, May 21 to appear before the committee with or face parliamentary contempt.
Recall that the CUPP spokesman had on May 4, 2020 in a statement alleged that the House of Reps and its leadership had received a financial inducement to the tune of $10 million to “rush the passage of the bill.”
Ugochinyere was asked to be present himself to present his evidence instead of sending his lawyer to the lower legislative chamber.
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Meanwhile, the speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has reacted to the controversies generated by the proposed Control of Infectious Diseases bill which he sponsored.
There has been a social media outrage where some Nigerians are calling for an outright rejection of the bill, saying it is against democratic principles.
There are also allegations that the is a product of inducement by foreign interests who want to "turn Nigerians into guinea pigs for medical research while taking away their fundamental human rights".
However, in his remarks at the floor of the house on Tuesday, May 5, Gbajabiamila said the bill is still a proposal subject to consideration, amendment and improvement.
The speaker said none of the allegations against the bill is true.
"This House of Representatives will never, take any action that purposes to bring harm to any Nigerian here at home or abroad," he said.
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