Posted by By BASHIR UMAR, Abuja on
At the height of its national assignment, the membership of the Senate ad-hoc committee investigating the activities of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) has suffered a sharp division, with two sides suspecting each other of vested interests even before a comprehensive report is compiled for the Senate's deliberation.
At the height of its national assignment, the membership of the Senate ad-hoc committee investigating the activities of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) has suffered a sharp division, with two sides suspecting each other of vested interests even before a comprehensive report is compiled for the Senate's deliberation.
The crack started emerging when two weeks ago, the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Ndoma-Egba and another member, Senator Abba Aji were sighted at the Aso Villa being led by the Senate Leader, Sarki Tafida to President Obasanjo's office where they allegedly spent four hours in a closed door meeting.
Although Senator Ndoma-Egba announced that he only accompanied Tafida to arrange for presidential flight that conveyed senators to the late Senator Sani Sami's funeral, and stoutly distanced the meeting from having any connection with the PTDF matters, when the Senate enquired from him, some of his committee members were far from being convinced, arguing that the reason he advanced was a "mere smoke-screen."
While the committee was about to commence compiling its report, Senator Titus Olupitan shouted that having suspected foul play from the Aso Rock mission, he was likely to write a minority report at the end of the day, while Senator Rufa'i Sani Hanga told Daily Sun point blank that both President Obasanjo and Vice President Atiku were found culpable by the investigation.
These comments did not apparently go down well with Senator Ndoma-Egba and another member, Senator Felix Ogunwale, who told reporters Tuesday that by their previous out-bursts, Senators Olupitan and Hanga were unethically playing politics with the PTDF matter by pre-empting the committee's conclusion.
Senator Ogunwale alleged that Hanga was not even regular at the meetings of the panel but whenever the other members raised concern to that effect, Senator Olupitan would readily defend his (Hanga's) absence, wondering what "should be the connection for that solidarity between a man from Kano and another from Owo (Ondo State)."
On his part, Senator Ndoma-Egba said that the committee had resolved to write its report only last Thursday, so it was "never proper for any member to pre-empt it by talking to the media or any other person before the Senate receives it, and if any member discloses what the committee has not submitted to Senate, then you (reporters) should be able to know what that member is up to."
As to whether the committee would recommend sanctions on Senators Olupitan and Hanga, the Chairman said: "I am just trying to compile the comprehensive report of the committee and I don't want anything to detract me from finishing that assignment."
When Daily Sun contacted Senator Olupitan about the comments by Senators Ndoma-Egba and Ogunwale, he said: "Don't mind them, they can say anything, we know what they are up to, perhaps, that is why they went and saw the president for four hours. Was I there when you the press saw them and reported, was I there? Na God catch them, and I still maintain my stand that by the time that report is submitted, if I am not satisfied, I will write my (minority) report."
It would be recalled that Senators Olupitan and Hanga were members of the 2007 Movement that tirelessly waged a legislative war against the third term campaign last year, while Senators Ndoma-Egba and Ogunwale were staunch supporters of the agenda till the last debate that killed it.
Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader, Senator Lawali Shu'aibu, resigned that post Tuesday, following his defection to the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) of which he is the flagbearer for Zamfara State governorship election.