Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Aviation, Nnolim Nnaji has faulted claims that the speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, is allegedly shielding lawmakers listed by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio as beneficiaries of contracts from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
The leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucus, Kingsley Chinda, had in a on letter to Gbajabiamila, accused the speaker of allegedly shielding purportedly named by Akpabio as beneficiaries of NDDC contracts.
However, Nnaji, who is also a member of the PDP, in a statement on Friday, said the views expressed by Chinda in his letter does not represent the collective position of the generality of the members of the opposition party in the House.
According to him, it will be unfair to accuse Gbajabiamila of shielding lawmakers, when it was him, who issued an ultimatum to Akpabio to produce the names of members of the ninth assembly accused of benefiting from NDDC contracts.
“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 Ministers 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” , Nnaji stated.