Posted by By MOLLY KILETE, Abuja on
Sacked former Minister of Works, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe yesterday maintained that his sudden removal from office by President Olusegun Obasanjo has nothing to do with corrupt practices.
• Says EFCC not after him
Sacked former Minister of Works, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe yesterday maintained that his sudden removal from office by President Olusegun Obasanjo has nothing to do with corrupt practices.
Rather, he said that there is a possibility that the President has other assignment for him, even as he urged Obasanjo to accept to serve for a third term in office.
Ogunlewe, who spoke at a handing over ceremony to the permanent secretary of the ministry, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, denied claims that his sack from the federal executive council last Wednesday, was as a result of fraud and that men of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), will soon come after him.
He said that his record at the ministry, which is readily available for everyone to see, will vindicate him from such allegations, adding that as minister, he did not have the powers to sign or release cheques, especially when one needed to obtain a due process certificate for projects and payment of every contract.
The former minister, however, thanked President Obasanjo for giving him the opportunity to serve in his cabinet, but was quick to say that the country stands to lose a whooping N300 billion already committed to road repairs and rehabilitation across the country, should the president ignore and reject the clarion calls from Nigerians for him to continue a third term in office.
' My own is that I want to thank Mr. President for giving me the opportunity to serve this nation to the best of my ability and knowledge, that's all and I'm moving forward".
Ogunlewe, who described the projects as dear and critical to the economy of the nation, appealed to the President not to abandon the third term project, as he alone is in the position to complete all the projects.
'The 72 projects can never be completed between now and 2007 and they are critical to the economic survival of our nation, so my appeal to Mr. President is what Nigerians are saying that he should continue and go for the third term so that we will be able to complete all these projects that are critical to our economy. If not, if the next administration is not willing to continue, we will lose about N300 billion and Nigerians will suffer".