A federal lawmaker representing Vandeiya/Konshisha federal constituency at the House of Representatives, Hembar Hembe at the weekend said he has never been removed from any committee assignment at the lower chamber.
Speaking through his media aide, Teryila Vande, the lawmaker said at no time was he removed on account of graft or any other reason for that matter.
Contrary to the view in some quarters, Hembe said that the case involving the House Committee on Capital Markets and other Institutions (which he chaired for the entire duration of the 7th National Assembly) and the Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission Ms Arunma Oteh that he decided to step from the presiding chairman for due investigation.
He noted that after due investigation by law enforcement agencies no charges were filed in respect of the 44 million naira bribe allegation.
He explained, “In that matter, the Committee was mandated by the entire House to probe the near-collapse of the Nigerian capital market.
” As the chief regulator of the capital market, the SEC and its boss were at the center of the probe. In the course of the hearing, the DG of SEC alleged that the Committee and its Chairman requested a bribe of 44 million naira from her in order to scuttle the investigation.
“In line with the best traditions of fair hearing, Hon. Hembe voluntarily stepped down from the presiding chair in relation to only that particular assignment, and further invited law enforcement agencies to investigate the allegations levelled against the Committee by the DG of SEC.
“After a due investigation by law enforcement agencies no charges were filed in respect of the N44 million bribe allegation for the simple reason that the allegation was a blatant lie designed for one purpose and one purpose only: to distract the Committee from continuing its probe of capital market operations.
” In a desperate attempt to pin something on the Committee at all costs, the EFCC abandoned the original N44 million bribe allegation; and at the instance of SEC filed charges against Hon. Hembe for criminal conversion of approximately N655,200 naira (4,095 USD at the exchange rate of 160 naira at the time).
“The facts that emerged from EFCC’s case were so absurd that the Court of Appeal in quashing the charges against Hon. Hembe had this to say:
“This prosecution is an abuse of the ominous powers vested in the EFCC; and an abuse of the court process”.
Hembe said that further investigation by the House Ethics Committee exonerated him of all allegations made by the DG of SEC, hence, his continuous heading the Committee on Capital Markets till the end of the tenure of the 7th Assembly in June 2015.
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