The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang, who made the clarification at a news conference in Abuja, said top presidency officials, including himself, listed as prosecution witnesses, were going to court as members of the Seventh Senate.
Enang and the Special Adviser to the Vice President on Politics Affairs, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, were among the 14 prominent Nigerians already listed as prosecution witnesses in the criminal case.
He said his clarification became necessary in view of the fact that there were “false publications and insinuations that presidential aides had been Iined up against the presiding officers of the Senate and others in the case.
He said his name was being listed as a witness based on his position as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Business in the Seventh Senate, which is saddled with the responsibility of amending the rule book.
He said, “I was the Chairman of the Rules and Business Committee of the 7th Senate which ended plenary on June 4, 2015, and the 8th Senate was inaugurated on June 9, 2015.
“That upon a written petition to the police on the subject of alleged forgery of the Standing Orders by some Distinguished Senators of the 8th Senate, the lnspector-General of Police through one DIG Dan Azumi J. Doma wrote to the Clerk of the National Assembly via his letter dated July 1, 2015.”
Enang said the police requested the Clerk to the National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Maikashuwa, to inform some key officials of the 7th Senate to have an audience with Doma on or before July 6, 2015.
The affected officials included the former Senate President David Mark, the Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, the Majority Leader of the Senate, Victor Ndoma-Egba, the Clerk of the National Assembly, Maikashuwa, the Clerk of Senate (Ben Efeturi), the Chairman, Rules and Business (Enang), and the committee’s clerk (Ogozy Nma).
He said, “Further to the above, l, on July 3, 2015 met with the police who confronted me with allegation that I am suspected to have amended or printed the Standing Orders in issue, being the Chairman of Rules and Business Committee of the 7th Senate.
“l was asked to make a written statement on the matter and I did on the said July 3, 2015 and I denied the allegation, and it was from the statement of other persons of interest after my statement that the police might have formed an opinion as to who did what, exonerating me.”
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