Chairman, Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions in the 8th Senate, Samuel Anyanwu has chastised the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, for listing his name as one of the lawmakers that benefited from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) contracts.
Addressing Journalists yesterday in Abuja, Senator Anyanwu said he never got a contract from the Commission even as a member of the Niger Delta Affairs Committee in the last Senate.
He however said that if the Minister is educated enough, he should come up with the contracts, name of the companies as registered by the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, the bank where the money was paid into, among others.
Anyanwu said that he has concluded arrangements with his lawyers to write the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio to retract his statement and failure to do that, they will meet in Court.
“I tried calling him a couple of times, he has never taken my calls. I chose to confront him first before going to the press.
“By tomorrow( today) or next tomorrow, my lawyers are going to write to Akpabio to retract it or give us the facts after which if he doesn’t do anything about this, I will take the next step.”
Senator Anyanwu who warned Akpabio to stop insulting and blackmailing people said, “Because I am a politician, and a prominent one for that matter, in my state and Nigeria, I choose to clear the air on the so-called allegation that I benefited from contracts by NDDC.
First I was shocked to hear my name. Very shocked that honourable Minister of Niger Delta could mention my name that I was awarded contracts.
“First of all I am from Imo state, Imo state is one of the oil-producing states and a member of NDDC, if you remember, it was because of the suffering of the south-east that I moved and sponsored the bill for South-East Development Commission and I was a member of the committee on NDDC. The current minister of Niger Delta affairs was also a member and was the minority leader of the senate.
“It was only three names I saw, Senator Matthew Urhoghide, Chairman of the committee, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi and Senator James Manager and we were about 18 members in that Committee. Even James Manager was not even a member of the committee.
“If there are issues, I feel the honourable minister is educated enough, please let us see the projects, the contracts, name of the companies, the bank where the money was paid, CAC is there, why do you have to insult people like that?
“I am no longer in the Senate, almost two years, I have left and managing my quiet life and watching what Nigeria will turn out to be. So if you have issues with the national assembly members, which I understand since he became a minister he has, that has nothing to do with me.
Before we left, our position with Saraki that is part of the things we are suffering today. That’s the truth. I am the only one not in the Senate why mention my name when I have nothing to do with it, I felt very very hurt,” the Senator said.
