Posted by By ISMAIL OMIPIDAN, and MURPHY GANBAGANA, Abuja on
Senators Victor Ndoma-Egba and Ike Ekweremadu have reacted to the listing of their names in the original list of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), as alleged corrupt politicians describing it as a mere blackmail aimed at rubbishing their names.
Senators Victor Ndoma-Egba and Ike Ekweremadu have reacted to the listing of their names in the original list of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), as alleged corrupt politicians describing it as a mere blackmail aimed at rubbishing their names.
Their reaction is coming even as a member of the Anambra State House of Assembly, Mrs Anthonia Tabansi-Okoye handed a seven day ultimatum to EFCC to retract and tender an apology for listing her in the commission's list of indicted politicians, or face a legal action.
Specifically, Ndoma-Egba who is the chairman of the Senate Committee investigating the affairs of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), said it was laughable for him to be regarded as one of President Olusegun Obasanjo's allies that successfully got his name removed from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) list of corrupt politicians, adding that such a blackmail would not distract him from his set goal of submitting an unbiased report of the committee to the Senate for consideration.
'I know that it is all blackmail given this my recent assignment and I am just hoping to submit my report and get on with life. It is part of the blackmail, it is the PTDF report, long and short and I know where they are coming from, but they are mistaken.
'If they are saying that I misapplied my salary and allowances, they could have made sense, but otherwise, which public funds have come to my hands, the only public office I occupy is that of senator.
'We will sort it out because when it comes to my reputation, I don't compromise, that is the only thing I have got. So, I will go to court, clear my name and I hope they are ready with their own facts."
Also speaking in the same vein, Senator Ike Ekweremadu said 'I take exception to this attempt to damage my reputation, press freedom does not extend to character assassination. I subscribe to press freedom, but it must not be extended to character assassination.
'I expect them too, to apologize because I will go to every extent to demonstrate that what they did was sheer blackmail. My understanding of the publication is that, I am a corrupt government official, who is using my influence to change the direction of government policy and I am not like that and I will take every available avenue in our legal system to demonstrate that the publication is false and I am not the kind of person they are trying to portray.
'I was never in any list when it was compiled and I never spoke to any person to help me out."
Meanwhile, Tabansi-Okoye, who was also named in the list of politicians under probe by the EFCC, says her only offence is that she refused to be part of the charade and nocturnal meetings in Abuja, to impeach re-instated Anambra Governor, Mr. Peter Obi.
In a letter to the EFCC chairman dated February 9, 2007, the lawmaker accused Mallam Nuhu Ribadu of being manipulated by some powerful forces to compile and publicize what she referred to as a kangaroo report.
While emphatically denying the allegation of corruption in the letter written on her behalf by the legal firm of Ikechukwu Ezechukwu & Co., Tabansi-Okoye dismissed the EFCC report as a failed attempt to smear her name.
Contending that she had never been invited by the EFCC nor any complaint of corruption made against her by any person, the lawmaker said by publicizing a kangaroo report, Ribadu merely confirmed the suspicion of Nigerians on the EFCC. Part of the letter reads:
'The ‘investigation and indictment' of our client makes the entire exercise you embarked upon laughable. Her name has been maligned and scandalized, and her teeming supporters worried and embarrassed by the one-sided ‘investigation and indictment'. It is unconstitutional, illegal, defamatory and vile to be a party and judge in your own cause. It equally casts aspersion on the credibility of your Commission if your kangaroo report could indict a decent lady like our client.
'This singular action of your, our client state, is a clear testimony of the fact that your Commission is being manipulated by some powerful forces outside it…Every generation out of its obscurity must identify their mission, and either fulfil or betray it. By this singular action, you have betrayed the mission of the Commission".