Minister’s media team describes Justice Ngwuta’s allegation as fictitious

The media team of Nigeria’s Transportation Minister, Mr Chibuike Amaechi, has described Justice Sylvester Ngwuta’s bribery allegation against the minister as fictitious.

Mr David Iyofor made this known in a statement in Port Harcourt on Friday.

Ngwuta and Justice Inyang Okoro of the Supreme Court claimed that Amaechi approached them to influence the election in the Rivers, and Akwa-Ibom elections matter then before the apex court.

Iyofor described Ngwuta’s comments as `flagrant lies and diversionary tales concocted to muddle serious issues of bribery by judicial officers.

He maintained that Amaechi did not and had never tried to lobby or induce Ngwuta to influence the outcome of any matter before the Supreme Court or any other court.

According to him, Ngwuta’s narrative as it concerned Amaechi is simply untrue, fallacious and a deliberate design to deceive and distract attention from the real issues.

“It’s indeed very sad and most unfortunate that Justice Ngwuta had decided to drag the name of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), into his fabricated allegations.

“Amaechi did not and has never lobbied, approached or attempted to make the CJN or any other justice of the apex court to influence the Supreme Court judgment on any matter.

The Amaechi media team, he added, had noticed a carefully planned and coordinated political attempt to drag the minister into the Department of State Service arrest and investigation of judges in Nigeria.

“The aim of the plot is two-fold: to smear and politically destroy the image and reputation of Amaechi, and deceitfully portray him as the person behind the arrest of judges.

“This is, indeed, most ridiculous and callous. We are aware of a well timed, heavily funded plot to take out Amaechi politically,’’ he said.

Iyofor noted that Amaechi could not be behind the arrest and investigation of Ngwuta, adding, “they must leave Amaechi alone and face the issues before the DSS’’.