Coalition urges House of Reps Speaker to investigate corruption allegations

A coalition of civil society organisations, under the umbrella of the Northern Stakeholders Consultative Forum (NSCF), has urged the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abass, to investigate allegations of corruption against a member of the House, Ikenga Ugochinyere.

The convener of the group, Alhaji Yerima Shettima, spokesman Ali Mohammed Sani, and secretary-general Danjuma Paul, made this call in Kaduna.

They stated that if the allegations are not investigated, they pose a significant risk to Nigeria’s democratic foundations and must be addressed with utmost severity.

They noted tgatv coalition’s mission is to ensure that those elected to serve the people adhere unwaveringly to their responsibilities.

“Accountability lies at the heart of a functioning democracy; when representatives err or engage in misconduct, it is our duty to highlight these discrepancies and demand justice.

“The coalition is concerned about the implications of the actions—or inactions—of lawmakers, particularly in the energy sector.

“We have undertaken an investigative approach regarding the recent crisis surrounding the joint committee tasked with overseeing the oil industry. Reports indicate that this committee has been disbanded, primarily due to egregious and unscrupulous conduct attributed to one of its co-chairmen, Hon. Ugochinyere Ikenga.

“Accusations against Mr. Ikenga suggest that he solicited a bribe of $10 million from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).

“He has also been accused of boasting about his alleged payment of $1.7 million for his committee chairmanship—a claim that raises profound concerns about the integrity of legislative processes.

“Our investigations have uncovered troubling patterns of behavior, including unusual activities around the House of Representatives premises on July 4, 2024. Inquiries revealed that private investigators had been engaged by Mr. Ikenga to gather information for blackmail against the Speaker of the House, Hon. Tajudeen Abass, and the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Kalu Benjamin.”

The coalition called upon the leadership of the House of Representatives to procure and review the CCTV footage from the House complex on the mentioned date.

They are confident that these recordings will validate the claims, revealing meetings held between Hon. Ikenga and private investigators within his office premises.

The coalition urged the Speaker of the House to initiate a comprehensive investigation into these serious allegations, particularly concerning the activities of the disbanded committee.

They emphasised that the broader implications of such behavior—if left unchecked—pose a significant risk to democratic foundations and must be addressed with utmost severity.

The coalition also advocated for a transparent, accountable, and ethical legislative process that genuinely serves the Nigerian populace and reinstates faith in democracy.