Pulse News Agency Local By NAN | 21:53 | 21.10.2015


The committee chairman, Sen. Sam Anyanwu, after
merging the petitions, urged the nominee to defend himself
on the myriad of allegations against him.


The Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public
Petition on Wednesday in Abuja , grilled the ministerial
nominee from Imo, Prof. Anthony Onwuka over petitions
challenging his nomination.


The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Sen. Attan
Achonu (PDP Okigwe), on Tuesday at plenary, submitted
over 10 petitions challenging the nomination of Onwuka.


The committee chairman, Sen. Sam Anyanwu , after merging
the petitions, urged the nominee to defend himself on the
myriad of allegations against him.


The petitioners had alleged that Onwuka, as Vice-
Chancellor of Imo State University, Owerri, between 2000
and 2005, approved the procurement of a retirement bus for
himself rather than a car.


The petitioners also questioned his approval of N 800,000
for repair of the fence of his house when he was the Vice-
Chancellor.


They also alleged that the court had indicted him on some
of the allegations.
They also alleged that the ministerial nominee, being an in-
law to Gov. Rochas Okorocha was also from the same Orlu
zone as the governor.


The committee members queried the nominee on the
contents of the petition.
They sought to know if it was morally right that he, being
an in law to the governor and being from the same Orlu
zone, be nominated for ministerial position.


However, in his response, Onwuka said that that he
preferred a bus to the Peugeot 406 car the school had
proposed to buy.


He said that his decision was based on the fact that he did
not like Peugeot 406 car, adding the bus he opted for was
cheaper in price.


The nominee added that Peugeot 406 car, being his official
car at the time was expensive to maintain.
The nominee told the committee that while the Peugeot 406
car was to cost N4.8 million, the bus cost N 3.8 million.


He said that he was right in approving N 800,000 for the
reconstruction of the fence of his official residence as it
was within his approval limit as the Vice-Chancellor of the
University.


"I see my nomination as a nomination from Mr President
and not from the governor; I was nominated on my own
merit.
"I am my own person and I was nominated as my own
person, not as the in-law to the governor,” he said.


He added that the final verdict on the case against him was
that the white paper indicting him was thrown out.
Onwuka wondered why his detractors still made reference
to the white paper which had been nullified.


The committee, thereafter, went into a closed-door session
as the petitioners who were also invited were not on ground
to defend or ratify their petitions.
The Chairman of the committee said that the committee
would use its discretion to invite the nominee if the need
be.


He added that the committee also awaited the response of
the petitioners, to honour the invitation of the committee to
defend their petitions.


NAN reports that the nominee is the immediate past
Secretary to Imo Government and was the Director-General,
Rochas Okorocha Campaign Organisation.


Other members of the committee are; Sen. Obinna Ogba
(PDP Ebonyi Central), Sen. Binta Garba (APC Adamawa
North) and Sen. Jeremiah Useni (APC Plateau South)
among others.

http://pulse.ng/politics/ministerial-screening-senate-panel-grills-nominee-over-petitions-against-him-id4282596.html

cc lalasticlala, Afam4ever etc. This should be moved up just like the accusation was.