Deputy Senate President denies N8b fraud allegation

The Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu has denied allegations that he diverted N8b meant for the 1999 Constitution review during the seventh Senate, to his personal use.

Punch Newspapers reports that Ekweremadu, in a statement released by his media aide, Uche Anichukwu, said “These elements are currently making desperate efforts, including scavenging through Senate accounts and Committees he has ever served on, with the sole aim of misrepresenting information, maligning, and running him out of office by hook or crook or force him to resign from office as the Deputy President of the Senate.”

“There was no “pocketing” of N8bn by members of the Committee on Constitution Review in the 7th Senate. Such fathom pocketing of public funds is a figment of the peddlers and their paymasters.

“For emphasis, the Senate Committee on Constitution Review does not have any account domiciled with the Guarantee Trust Bank as alleged by the report.

“For clarity, constitution amendment as an expenditure item is covered by the Appropriation Act of each year and disbursed by the appropriate bureaucracy of the National Assembly for the purpose it was appropriated in accordance with extant rules,” the statement said.

Ekweremadu said the accusations are false and that he had already warned of attempts by rumour peddlers to publish untrue stories about him.

Read: Deputy Senate President escapes assassination attempt

Senator Ike Ekweremadu holds a Bachelors and Masters Degree in Law from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He was called to the Bar in 1987.

He also holds Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Law from the University of Abuja.

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