NDDC: Senate Clerk disowns alleged letter Seeking Probe of Akpabio by EFCC

The Clerk of the Senate, Nelson Ayewoh has disowned a letter allegedly written by him to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for probe and possible arrest of the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio on alleged financial impropriety at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

He, therefore, urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the general public to disregard the discredited petition.

He also challenged security agencies to be alive to their mandate by investigating the source of the forgery without further delay.

This was contained in a statement he personally signed dated Tuesday, June 9, 2020, and was made available to newsmen Wednesday.

He indicated that neither the letter nor the letterhead used for for the hatchet job was genuine.

According to him, aside from the fact that the letter was fraudulently made to look like it emanated from his office, the wordings, style and syntax used in the letter are clearly different from their in- house style.

“The style, syntax and word fonts employed by the mischief-maker(s) in their correspondence varies from our in-house standard”, he said.

According said he aligned with all the rebuttals that had been made on the fake letter by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege as well as call on security agencies to unveil the identity of the mischief-makers behind the letter.

The statement titled, “Urgent Press Release “, reads, “My attention has been drawn to a forged letter dated 7th May 2020, purported to have emanated from my office, addressed to the Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

“The letter fraudulently indicates that His Excellency, the Deputy President of the Senate had directed the Clerk of the Senate to petition the Honorable Minister of Niger Delta Affairs and one Mr Scott Ikott Tommey on allegations bordering on alleged corruption at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

“The Office of the Deputy President of the Senate has already responded to the false publication and fraudulent petition. I completely agree with the submission of the Deputy President of the Senate that the publication is “false, fake, malicious, mischievous and vexatious.” In addition, the general public and all concerned are hereby invited to note as follows:-

“That at no time did the Deputy Senate President, His Excellency, Senator Augustine Ovie Omo-Agege, requested me to forward any petition to any Agency of government;

“That at no time did the Office of the Clerk, of the Senate, issued or caused to be issued, a petition seeking the monitoring and investigation of the Hon. Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, His Excellency, Senator Godswill Akpabio or any person for that matter;

“That the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has channels for addressing public petitions. In this instant case, no petition on the subject matter is before the Senate and therefore, no Resolution could have been taken in this regard.

” That the letterhead used by the mischief-maker(s) is different from the one in use in my Office as the reference number NASS/CS/99/R/21/19 on the forged letter is not an aspect of our filing index; and the style, syntax and word fonts employed by the mischief-maker(s) in their correspondence varies from our in-house standard.