NDDC contracts: Reps member faults alleged shielding of lawmakers by speaker

The Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Aviation, Hon. Nnolim Nnaji on Friday faulted the media report accusing the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila of shielding some members of the House listed by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio as beneficiaries of the Niger Delta Developments Commission (NDDC) contracts.

Hon. Nnaji described the news report captioned ‘NDDC Probe: PDP Reps accuse Gbajabiamila of shielding defaulting lawmakers’ as untrue and didn’t represent the collective position of the generality of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members in the House.

He noted that the alleged letter referred to in the report could not stand as the position of the major opposition lawmakers in the House of Representatives.

Hon. Nnaji emphasized that it was unfair to accuse the Speaker of shielding the lawmakers where else he was the one who in the first place compelled the Minister to produce the names.

“As far as I am concerned, the allegation by the Minister against some members was a matter that bothers on the integrity of the House and cautioned against utterances that will divide us,” Hon. Nnaji argued.

He urged aggrieved members to rather direct their attention to focus on the NDDC investigation, worsening insecurity including the recent killings in Southern Kaduna, marginalization of some sections of the country, deprivation and hunger across our country rather than attacking the straw man in order to give soft landing to the inefficiency of the NDDC leadership.

“As far as am concerned, the Speaker is doing a good job of presiding over the house, engaging constructively with the Executives on national issues which is the reason for the investigation in the first place.

“I want to affirm that matters arising from the Minister’s letter have been properly referred to Ethics and Privileges Committee and would ordinarily form part of the report to the House by the time we resume from our vacation,” Hon. Nnaji assured.

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