Posted by By JAMES OJO, Abuja. on
Embattled Vice Chancellor of Federal University of Technology (FUTO) Owerri, Professor Jude Njoku Wednesday told the House of Representatives that he was forced to sign the document tendered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), while also denying giving money to influence the 2004 budget of the institution.
Embattled Vice Chancellor of Federal University of Technology (FUTO) Owerri, Professor Jude Njoku Wednesday told the House of Representatives that he was forced to sign the document tendered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), while also denying giving money to influence the 2004 budget of the institution.
President Olusegun Obasanjo in a nationwide broadcast had accused the Vice Chancellor of giving N235 million to the chairman, House Committee on Education, Hon Shehu Matazu, Hon Gabriel Suswam, chairman Appropriation, and Hon Osita Izunaso,
chairman Housing and Environment Committee.
But before the Committee on Ethics and Privileges, Prof. Njoku said his interrogators declined to let him read the contents of the petition allegedly written against him, and refused to accept a statement initially dictated to him.
" I was told that there was a petition, but that I can not see it, up till now, I don't know the contents than what I read on the pages of newspapers, my interrogators were not specific," the Professor said.
Event though he said that he found himself in a harrowing situation before the EFCC operatives, Professor Njoku insisted that there was no time he gave money to Hon Suswam or Hon Izunaso to influence the budget of FUTO.
"They asked me if I had ever met Hon Suswam, I said yes, but that I cannot recognize him because I only met him once, but for Hon Matazu, I said that I know him as the chairman of the House Committee on Education."
While exonerating himself, Njoku noted that he only wrote to the leadership of the National Assembly seeking for their assistance to help improve the budget of the
school so that some capital projects would be completed in 2004.
Professor Njoku noted that since EFCC was not forth coming on its offence, he was confused about what to believe in the exact money allegedly exchange hands.
The vice chancellor said he became hysterical on receiving the EFCC invitation. He shocked the House when he said he could not remember the date he was
interrogated.
Earlier, Hon Suswam had informed the committee that he was only invited on Monday March 28 by the EFCC where he was asked to make statement.
"I was invited on Monday through a phone call by somebody who described himself as EFCC officer, and by 8 p.m. I was already in their office, this is the first time I will be invited since the President broadcast to the nation where my name was mentioned."
Hon Suswam said he was shown the photocopy of a statement purportedly written by the FUTO VC while he maintained his innocence of the allegations levied against him by the EFCC.
Hon Izunaso equally denied ever collecting money from the vice chancellor restating his earlier position that he had not traveled out of the country since the beginning of the year.
Hon Matazu however said that though he was given the sum of N100,000 personally and sum of N50,000 for each of the 14 members of the Education committee, he however said that he returned the money to where it came from.