Multinational oil companies operating in this country are suspected of having bribed some members of Senate oil sector committees in order to influence their inputs during debate on the Petroleum Sector Reform Bill now before the National Assembly, the Senate's official spokesman said in Abuja yesterday. Speaking shortly after the plenary session, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Information and Media Senator Ayogu Eze (PDP, Enugu North) said he was wrong to have denied the allegation when he first spoke to reporters on the matter on Tuesday. He said, "You will remember that when I spoke with you yesterday about the issues concerning the committees in the petroleum sector within the National Assembly, I did tell you that it is false that some of them would have undertaken the trips that they alleged in the newspapers that they undertook. I need to say clearly that we have found out unfortunately and regrettably that there was an attempt by some private sector organizations to lobby members of the National Assembly on the bill that is before the National Assembly, and we found out today that some members of the National Assembly did go to Ghana, and we are also not very happy with the development because section 21 of our standing rules specify categorically that before you can travel abroad for whatever reason you must write to the leadership of the Senate, stating the purpose, stating the duration of your stay and stating the address where you are going to stay." Section 21 of the Senate standing rules reads, "A senator going abroad shall so inform the President of the Senate, indicating the purpose, the time of his stay abroad and his contact address." Senator Eze said the ten senators that travelled to Ghana contravened the provision of the section by failing to notify the leadership before embarking on the trip allegedly sponsored by the multinational oil companies. Senate therefore resolved to investigate the matter through its Committee on Ethics and Privileges, which was mandated to conduct a public hearing. Eze said any senator found culpable in the charge will face disciplinary action. "I want to assure Nigerians that the investigations and the public hearing by that committee will be carried live and if any senator is found wanting in any way, that senator shall stand alone. If any senator is found wanting of having committed any misdeed or enriched him or herself or indulge in anything that is unethical, that senator shall stand alone and that is the decision of the Senate," Eze said. Special Adviser to President Umaru Musa Yar'adua on Petroleum Dr. Emmanuel Egbogah had earlier accused senators of receiving bribes from oil companies in order to dump the Petroleum Reform Bill. He was reported to have said, "The oil companies are carrying campaigns, taking the senators to Ghana to feed them, going to the labour people to bribe them and saying that this reform is going to kill you and all that nonsense." Though senator Eze did not mention names of senators that made the trip to Ghana, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Petroleum (Upstream) Senator Lee Maeba who did not make the trip, said "When they returned from Ghana, I discussed with distinguished Senator Amange: 'How was it?' I have not received official brief from those who went to Ghana. But Senator Amange is even lamenting why he went there because there were even issues of estacode not paid to them and a lot of other issues and they had to return a day before they were supposed to return." Other senators reported to have made the trip include Mohammed Kabir Jibril (Kaduna Central), Mohammed Mohammed (Bauchi Central), Emmanuel Paulker (Bayelsa), Adamu Sidi Ali (FCT), Dahiru Awaisu Kuta (Niger East), Joseph Akargerger (Benue), Enyinaya Abaribe (Abia), Felix Bajomo (Ogun) and Tawar Umbi Wada (Gombe). In another twist to the case, members of the House of Representatives Committees on Petroleum (Upstream and Downstream) yesterday subjected President Umaru Yar'adua's Special Assistant on Petroleum Matters, Emmanuel Egboga to serious scrutiny over his allegation that senators and members received bribes from major oil companies to frustrate the passage of the Petroleum Sector Reform bill. At the session, the lawmakers took their turn to lambast the presidential aide for making the allegation. Chairman of the Petroleum Committee [Downstream] Bassey Otu expressed the lawmakers' embarrassment and sought an unreserved rebuttal if the statement attributed to Mr. Egboga was actually true. He said unless the issues bordering on bribery were cleared, Nigerians and others may go home with a negative impression of the National Assembly. Otu said, "We have summoned you here on issues that border on the integrity of the Committees (Up and Downstream) and the House of Representatives as a whole. This matter is regarding statements made in the papers last week by you. "We in the House realized quite early that we had cases of poor funding in the industry. We feel there were problems with the abuse of the Joint Venture Cash calls. We also realized that there were lack of incentives and investments in the local content. We realized that laws in the sector were obsolete and we proposed amendments. Ever since I came into this House we have been guided by due process. We are at no time guided by players in the industry. The House wants to find out exactly what you said before we leave the floor for further questions. The House cannot tolerate the blackmail of the National Assembly by anybody." But Mr. Egboga denied the report, saying reporters quoted him out of context. He admitted to saying that the legislators could be lobbied, but not bribed, to pass a bill. "I will like to start by apologizing profusely for the embarrassment this publication in the Punch newspapers has caused you. I have profound respect for the National Assembly and your efforts in the on-going reforms of the oil and gas sector. I was not properly quoted in the publication", he told the committee members.