Senator Samuel Anyanwu Replies Akpabio, Says the mention of his name is an insult that will not be allowed to slide by.
Anyanwu who represented Imo East Constituency in the 8th Assembly Senate on Tuesday 28th July 2020 called for a briefing to Address the allegations made by Sen. Godswill Akpabio who is currently facing the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) probe committee.
Media Orchid recalls that Akpabio earlier had in a session accused members of the Federal House of Representatives of being the greatest beneficiaries of the NDDC contracts which resulted to the Speaker House of Representatives Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila giving an Ultimatum of 48hours to make the list of Lawmakers who he claimed benefitted NDDC contracts available.
Akpabio who having failed to meet the Ultimatum given by the speaker instead wrote the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) Abubakar Malami listing Sen. Anyanwu and 4 others.
Anyanwu in response to Akpabio called for a press briefing which was held in his office at the FCT Abuja to address and debunk the allegations of Akpabio.
He said,
" I woke up to the News on Monday 27th July 2020 of being enlisted by the Sen. Godswill Akpabio the Honorable Minister of the Niger Delta Affairs and the supersiving minister to NDDC as being part of those he claims were the greatest beneficiaries of NDDC projects.
" I wish to state in clear terms that i find Akpabio's action quite insulting as it's a deliberate attempt to malign and defame me while shifting the attention of Nigerians from the burning issue of N81.6bn which the Honorable Minister has been summoned by the National Assembly to clear.
I am disappointed that he would seek to rope me into his drama. I sought to confront the Minister and placed several phone calls across he however failed to take or return any of the calls.
I therefore feel the need to clear the air via this press briefing.
" As a Senator in the 8th Assembly Senate, it was part of my duties to attract projects to my Constituency which I did. My Constituency therefore would be said to be the beneficiaries of projects I attracted not me. I was not given any personal projects neither did I execute any.
"Infrastructure is key to the development of any society, I was a member of the NDDC and Imo State is part of the Niger Delta. I therefore did all I did in the best interest of my people.
All contracts were awarded by the NDDC to different companies that were certified competent non was and couldn't have been given personally to me.
" It's also important I say that there are currently too many complains of non payment by some of the contractors that carried out projects even after completion of such projects which attracted to my Constituency. In fact some have abandoned these jobs because on lack of funds."
Sen Anyanwu speaking further expressed that he finds it appalling that Akpabio failed to pen down his own name despite being a member of the NDDC in the 8th Assembly and also having attracted projects for his own Constituency. Stating that Akpabio is well aware that a lawmaker cannot be indicted for attracting projects to his or her Constituency.
Anyanwu brought the press briefing to an end by demanding a clarification and retract of his name from Akpabio on the enlisting of his name.
He said,
" I am using this medium to call on the Honorable Minister to come out and first retract that which he published using media houses and also to further explain in clear terms the difference between 'Attracting a project and handling or executing a project'.
The Minister has to come out to clear Nigerians on this recent matter arising. He also needs to answer on all the allegations made against him as Nigerians are eagerly waiting.
"I have also gotten in touch with my lawyer on the matter and would be seeking legal redress should the Minister fail to come out to clarify these issues."
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