The lawmaker representing Anambra North Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Stella Oduah, has dismissed as malicious and fictitious rumour by an online publication that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, discovered the sum of N2.5bn in an account opened in the name of her purported housemaid, insisting that such account does not exist.
A statement issued on Monday by the lawmaker’s media aide, Francisca Onyeisi, stressed that the report is totally false, baseless and at best the imagination of the platform, which it said is bent on extorting and blackmailing leaders in its continuous attempt by their paymasters to break the rank of Senators of the 8th Assembly.
It accused the source of the story of posting uncorroborated and misleading reports to promote the agenda of certain elements whose fight against corruption can only be seen on pages of newspaper and pockets of their media spinners while millions of Nigerians remain unemployed and hundreds of thousands of kids go to bed hungry every day.
The statement reads, “The online platform claimed their sources in EFCC said a whopping 5.6 billion must have been stolen, then went further to contradict itself that the agency had determined it was 3.6 Billion then again reduced it to 2.5 billion in the same publication. The distinguish Senator laments the despicable low that the online platform has drawn the reputable profession of journalism to which unfortunately unsuspecting platforms will copy and paste on theirs without even lifting a pen to confirm the story. Senator further went to challenge if truly such account exists as claimed by the online platform and it is still operational and she not the so called housemaid have not been called in for questioning when the agency is freezing accounts and going after opposition governors who enjoy same level of immunity as the president.
“We also want to state that while the online platform, well known for its penchant for lies and spurious allegations may have made another calculated attempt to taint the enviable record and achievements of the distinguished Senator who had made a mark in Oil/Gas and Agricultural businesses before joining politics, we therefore challenge Sahara Reporters to produce evidence of the imaginary account of the supposed housemaid to members of the public.
“Senator Stella Oduah who made a name for herself during her tenure as a minister instituting serious reforms in the aviation sector and in last one year as a Distinguish Senator has raised series of important Bills and Motions to help strengthen the Nigerian Economy and our institutions reiterated that at no time did she ask or try to meet with the EFCC Chairman.
“Senator Stella Oduah, who is currently in her constituency, thanked her supporters and well wishers who have reached out to vent their frustrations at the unethical behavior of the tabloid assured them that there is nothing to worry about, restating that no such accounts exist and challenged Sahara reporters to present details of their funding and how the platform is able to afford a property in choice area of Maitama in Abuja,” Onyeisi said on behalf of the lawmaker’s office.
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