Daily Independent (Lagos)
Emma Chukwuanukwu and Okey Maduforo
6 July 2009
As the controversy over the setting up of Anambra State House of Assembly panel of enquiry into the N250 million intercepted by the police rages on, the three-man panel said it has invited Governor Peter Obi to tell his own side of the story on the alleged scam.
Already, the 21 heads of local government administration in the state had earlier appeared before the panel to explain how funds were raised by the councils for the purchase of vehicles for enhancing security in the state.
According to the Chief Whip of the Assembly and chairman of the panel, Gabriel Onyewife, who spoke with Sunday Independent, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Director-General of the State Security Service (SSS) have also replied letters sent to them by the committee.
"The House Committee of which I am the chairman has gone very deep into the investigation. Right now, it might interest you to know that the Commissioner for Chieftaincy and Local Government matters has appeared before the panel, the Media Assistant to the governor has appeared before the committee. Commissioner for Information has also appeared. The Inspector General of Police and DG SSS have replied to our letters. All the 21 heads of local government administration, who he involved with the transaction, have appeared before the panel and the contractor will appear before the committee along with the finance commissioner.
"By then, we would have been through with the investigation at interim measure. The panel has written the Governor of Anambra State, to have an interactive session with him. That is after we had collected all other information, so that we can interview the governor. We have given him a choice to come to the committee room of the Assembly or to select whichever place that he wants us to come. But he will come to the House of Assembly," Onyewife said.
He, however, denied allegations of pressure on the panel to influence its report.
Onyewife noted that "as soon as we complete our job, we present it to the Assembly and we make sure that all the documents, even if they are 1,000 pages, would be attached to the report and given to the legislators and it becomes a public document. Mine is to do the job and present it before the House and it is left for the House to adopt the report or reject it."
But the media assistant to the governor, Valentine Obienyem, denied that the governor received any invitation to appear before the House committee, adding that: "The governor has always said that he is ready to explain how Anambra money is being spent. The governor is not afraid to be invited, even by school children, to account for how Anambra money is being spent. But in this case, he has not been invited by the House," Obienyem said.
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