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…how his ‘love’ letter mellowed down reps
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…steps down consideration of probe report
…the Akpabio matter may be buried at last
By Emman Ovuakporie
After his denial that he was not referring to the ninth Assembly as beneficiaries of major contracts in the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, the House of Representatives sent Senator Godswill Akpabio’s matter to its graveyard, the Ethics and Privileges Committee of the House.
ThenNewsGuru.com, (TNG) reports that apparently sensing that digging deep into the Akpabio sweeping allegations, the many cans of worms that will be unearthed may rubbish the house, it last Thursday sent the matter to the ethics committee where the matter will be finally buried.
The House Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila had given the embattled Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio a 48hour utimatum to list all lawmakers allegedly involved in contract scams as he announced at the probe of the commission last Monday.
Expectedly, Akpabio denied implicating the ninth Assembly in a letter he wrote to the House leadership which paved way for a coffin which the Ethics committee will nail and eventually bury.
The matter once tabled before the committee, it will be watered down and the minister maybe given a clean bill of health.
The best that could come out of the House ‘graveyard’ is probably an unreserved apology from Akpabio to the House and case closed.
Also on Thursday, Gbajabiamila in a 13 paragraph statement had threatened to sue Akpabio after the 48hours ultimatum had expired.
Read Him:
The House of Representatives has resolved to initiate a criminal complaint of perjury against the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, over the allegations that over 60 per cent of contracts in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) went to members of the National Assembly.
Following Akpabio’s allegations, Speaker of the House, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila on Tuesday at plenary issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the minister to publish the names of the members that were given the contracts, the details of the contracts so given, the dates, among others.
However, Akpabio failed to do so as of Thursday, when the ultimatum expired.
Thus, at the commencement of plenary on Thursday, Gbajabiamila announced that he had instructed the Clerk to the House to engage the services of a lawyer to institute a criminal complaint of perjury against the minister.
Gbajabiamila also said that the lawyer would be instructed to explore the possibility of civil defamation suit against the minister.
Gbajabiamila said: “Last Tuesday I issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs to substantiate his allegation that over 60% (sixty per cent) of contracts awarded by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) went to members of the National Assembly. I said then that the Honourable Minister owed it to himself and the country to provide evidence to support these serious allegations.
“The Honourable Minister has failed to respond to my request. Therefore, I must conclude that his statement intended solely to gaslight the nation to avoid accountability for the evident maladministration and malfeasance in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
“In my time in the House of Representatives, I have held every leadership position from Minority Whip, through to Minority Leader, Leader of the House and now Speaker.
“I recognise that the House has not always lived up to the high expectations of the Nigerian people. As much as we still have a lot to do in that regard, I refuse to sit here in good conscience and allow anyone to assassinate the character of the House in an attempt to deflect accountability for their conduct in office. Such mendacity as was witnessed at the public hearing will not be tolerated from anybody no matter how highly placed.
“This morning, I asked the Clerk of the House of Representatives to engage the services of legal counsel, and instruct them to initiate a criminal complaint of perjury against the Minister. At the same time, we will instruct counsel to explore the possibility of a civil defamation suit against the Minister.
“The House of Representatives is a public trust placed in our care for the duration of our term in office. We must prove ourselves worthy of this public trust or risk the censure of history.
“Therefore, we will resist every attempt to undermine this institution, whether such attempts come from within or from outside. This House will live up to the highest expectations of the Nigerian people. This is our commitment, and we will not fail.”
Akpabio immediately after this very light threat was issued scurried from where he was hiding and sent a love letter to the House.
His letter apparently mellowed down members of the House who now resolved during Thursday’s plenary to step down consideration of the House Committee report on the probe.
The Lawmakers in session also sent the matter to it’s disciplinary Committee, the committee on Ethics and Privileges.
The matter as it is, has been properly given to the undertaker of the House to complete all the funeral rites of Akpabio’s sweeping allegations leveled against members as NDDC emergency contractors.
Lilly livered former uncommon Governor of Akwa Ibom has survived the scourge that would have swallowed him.
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