An anti-corruption agency, under the aegis of Niger-Delta Transparency Watch, has called on the leadership of the Senate to suspend Senator Peter Nwoboshi, Chairman Senate Committee on Niger Delta over statements credited to him that no warrant of arrest was issued against the Acting Sole Administrator of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Effiong Akwa.
The group in a statement co-signed by the Executive Director, Sampson Fingesi, Director of Administration Eric Digifa and Secretary, Stella Unye Pepple said it was baffled at the attempt by Nwoboshi to upturn the resolution reached by the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petition which on February 22 which slammed a warrant of arrest on the current management of NDDC and the Interim Management Committee headed by its former Managing Director, Daniel Pondei after they failed to honour its invitation a fourth time.
“As stakeholders and watchers in the region, we are baffled by the misleading and mischievous misrepresentation by Senator Peter Nwoboshi when the Senator on a visit to NDDC office told the NDDC Acting Sole Administrator that there was no bench warrant of arrest issued against him by the Senate.”
According to the group, Nwoboshi’s statement seeks to overrule the position of a committee duly constituted by the Senate under the leadership of the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan.
“This level of desperation leaves much to be desired. Surprisingly, the Niger Delta Committee is not the Committee investigating the serious alleged embezzlement of the Palliative money. Senator Peter Nwoboshi’s deliberate statement is ultra vires and seeks to overrule the Committee on Public Petitions which duly announced its decision on the last hearing date of February 22, 2021, at Senate Committee Room 120 and the report including video was on most news and media platforms across Nigeria.”
The Niger-Delta Transparency Watch wonders what could possibly be the interest of Senator Peter Nwoboshi in the N6.25 billion Covid-19 Palliative Fund allegedly embezzled.
Also Read: Delta trains education instructors on new National Policy
“The question now to ask is what vested interest does Senator Peter Nwoboshi have in this 6.25 billion Naira Palliatives funds that were allegedly embezzled and unaccounted for”?
It also asked if Senator Nwoboshi has become bigger than the Senate President who duly assigned this matter to the Senator Ayo Akinyelure-led Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions to handle.
“Is it not curious that the Senator wants to play selfish politics with this matter that affects the poor in the Niger Delta which he has proven not to be concerned about? It seems to us that Senator Nwoboshi has wilfully made himself an enemy of the Niger Delta and has been the one stopping the NDDC Management from honouring the multiple invitations by the Committee on Public Petitions, Ethics, and Privileges and this is curious”.
The group called on the leadership of the Senate to investigate Nwoboshi with a view to not only punish him but also ensure he does not derail and compromise the ongoing investigation.
” It is important to ensure that Senator Peter Nwoboshi does not succeed in portraying the Senate Committee on Public Petitions and indeed the Nigerian Senate as an irresponsible one lacking in integrity and institutional powers to do justice”, the group said.
( Editor: Omor Bazuaye)
