From Sufuyan Ojeifo in Abuja

Senate President, Senator David Mark, has said that he will step aside today for the deliberation on the report of the investigation into allegations of fraud and impropriety against him by the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions.
The report will be debated by the Senate and presided over by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu.
Mark made his intention known at the 6th National Seminar on Economic Crimes organised by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Abuja yesterday.
He said: €œI will step down to allow my colleagues debate the report whenever it is brought before the Senate.
The report, which was billed for presentation and debate yesterday suffered another set-back, as the Committee Chairman, Senator Omar Hambagda, requested time extension till today.
The Senate had mandated the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petition to investigate the source of the report that Mark spent N400m on the renovation of his official quarters, as well as another allegation that he smuggled N2.5 billion into the 2007 Supplementary Budget.
Part of the allegation contained in a newspaper publication signed by the Media Assistant to Senator George Akume, Mr. Adoka Adaji, was that N500 million was spent on the live telecast of the screening of ministerial nominees in July, this year.

Mark said: €œIf Im found wanting, nobody will tell me before I would leave office. But if Im not, those making these allegations should be courageous enough to make a public apology to the nation for misleading Nigerians.
He urged Nigerians to report those who had no basic means of livelihood but make huge donations at social events to the EFCC.
According to him, €œIf we all lead by example, as I would do when I leave here, we would all have begun the process of re-creating a new Nigeria because the war against corruption has to be total. If we dont take it to its logical end, we would all be the loser.
He said the National Assembly would take its oversight responsibilities more seriously, adding, €œWe shall close all the avenues for leakages as this Senate will be a different body. We shall follow the process of utilisation of appropriated funds very seriously because the absence of this in the past had led to over-inflation of contracts.
Marks address at the EFCC seminar coincided with yesterdays session in the Senate, which was presided over by the Deputy Senate President, Ekweremadu.
The Senate for the fourth time granted time extension till today to the Committee on Ethic, Privileges and Public Petitions to present its report.
Chairman of the Committee, Hambagda, had said Monday that the report, which was signed by only four out of the 11 members, would be submitted to the Senate yesterday.
The report was signed by Senators Garba Lado, Erawiare Adego Eferakaya, Hosea Ehinlanwo and Hambagda.
Other members who are yet to sign the report included Senators Lee Maeba, Anthony Agbo, Andrew Babalola, Grace Bent, Shola Akinyede, Mohammed A.M. and Tawar Umbi Wada.
Hambagda said: €œThe report of the committee has been put together, but some members are yet to sign it. We shall go out right now and finalise the report. We will present it tomorrow.
A member of the committee, Babalola, however said that the report had become controversial.
According to him, €œThe report of the Ethics Committee which should have been submitted this morning became a cantankerous thing among members. We have been able to persuade the chairman of the committee that we must meet once again before submitting the report to discuss the final outcome of that report because a lot of things have been said that infringes on the privilege of each member of the committee.
€œWe must meet again to look at the report before we submit it. The report is controversial. So, I therefore, beg the House to give us extra hours to meet again and then submit the final report.
The Senate Leader, Senator Teslim Folarin, said it was clear that €œthere is no report ready for submission, adding that since the Chairman of the Committee had assured the Senate that the report would be ready today, it would be appropriate to grant the request for time extension.
There were indications yesterday that the Committee members were not in total agreement with the findings in respect of Senator Akume.
The report had absolved Akume of being the mastermind of the allegations as contained in some newspaper publications.
THISDAY gathered that the report did not indict the Senate President of any wrongdoing.

But there were feelers yesterday night that the Senate leadership might deploy its majority support in the Senate to pass a vote-of-no-confidence on the Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions Committee.
The insinuations in Senate circles are that the Chairman of the Committee and some of its members might have been compromised.
It was learnt that a fresh investigation may be ordered and an ad hoc committee may be saddled with the responsibility.

Thisdayonline
November 15, 2007