Posted by From ISMAIL OMIPIDAN, Abuja on
The Senate President, Ken Nnamani on Thursday distanced himself from the N50 million contract which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) awarded to Alkatex, allegedly owned by him.
• I did not participate in the bazaar
The Senate President, Ken Nnamani on Thursday distanced himself from the N50 million contract which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) awarded to Alkatex, allegedly owned by him.
Nnamani's denial is coming on the heels of the setting up of an ad hoc committee by the Senate for the purpose of unraveling the true identities of the owner or owners of the said company.
Senator Farouk Bello Bunza had moved a motion concerning a publication in a newspaper, (not Daily Sun) which reported that INEC said the Senate president's company named Alkatex got contract from INEC, while calling on the Senate to investigate the matter. His motion was promptly seconded by Senator Victor Oyofo.
Bello who described the publication as malicious and an attempt to blackmail the leadership of the Senate, said "this is a breach of the privilege of Nnamani and this Senate. We asked the committee to probe INEC's expenses; it was not Nnamani who said so but the Senate. What I expect, is for INEC to provide all facts about its expenses to the committee and not to proceed on this malicious publication.
"This was what happened when CBN was being investigated. It went out with false publication. Why should agencies of government do this whenever they are being probed?"
From there, Senators took their turn to condemn the said publication, with Oyofo saying "this Senate has always been in the forefront of self purification. This move (to investigate the matter raised in the publication) will show to the world that not only are we transparent and honest but we are willing to be probed.
"We are talking about misuse of funds. Any attempt to blackmail the Senate President will be resisted by this Senate. If I were Nnamani, I will go to court. Getting a contract is one thing, but misusing the fund is another thing entirely. INEC should not try to hoodwink the people of Nigeria ."
Other senators who contributed to the debate are: Victor Ndoma-Egba, Lawali Shuaibu, Idris Kuta, Kanti Bello and Daisy Danjuma.
Responding, a visibly angry Nnamani said, "Distinguished colleagues, I thank you for this opportunity. Ken Nnamani has been associated with a number of companies, both at home and abroad. I made sure that no company where I have direct interest, whether I'm a majority shareholder or a minority shareholder, has taken contract from any ministry or parastatal from 2003 till date.
"The Alkatex mentioned in the publication is unknown to me. The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) can prove this and I would be replying INEC and ThisDay by tomorrow. I feel strongly about this. My sitting up here is by your (Senators) grace. I'm not taking it…I'm not playing around with it. I have made a big sacrifice in terms of business and making contacts. I don't see how companies would be applying and getting businesses in billions of naira and dollars, young boys and girls and Ken Nnamani and his company will be going for N50 million. So, it's not even the amount of money involved but of what is called ‘conflict of interest.'
"I have tried to avoid applying to any ministry or parastatal and I challenge any ministry or parastatal in Nigeria from 2003 to publish any transaction Ken Nnamani or his company has had with that ministry, talk less of the bazaar, the bazaar that went on at INEC. I did not participate in that bazaar. No company associated with Ken Nnamani participated in it. I call it a bazaar.
"So, for people to publish this, I would be speaking louder by tomorrow (today) because there are procedures and I'm assuring you people that I would not let you down. I have no company called Alkatex and it can be verified. I have none. I have companies but not Alkatex and no company of mine has done any work with any ministry or parastatal or any institution in Nigeria . If I make money, it's overseas. My family is overseas, operating my own company and they are paying their taxes. I have tried…because I know that the problem here is money, if they can't get me, I'm no longer committing treason, but now it is contract. Who owns Alkatex? That should be verified. Maybe my retirement benefits can come out of this. I don't know yet because for N50 million blackmail….Anybody who has any information about Ken Nnamani's companies should feel free to publish it."
At the end of the debate, a seven-man probe panel led by Senator Oloruninmbe Mamora was set up to investigate the truth or otherwise of the publication and report back to the Senate next Tuesday.
Other members of the committee are: Senators Victor Oyofo, Joy Emodi, Lawali Shuaibu, Robert Koleosho, Baba Tela and Idris Kuta.