Group condemns smear campaign against National Assembly clerk
A group, Professional Mediators and Conciliators, has raised the alarm over alleged desperate moves to tarnish the image of the Clerk of the National Assembly, Arch. Ojo Amos Olatunde, through unfounded allegations of shady dealings. An NGO known as Equity and Transparency Development Initiative had, in a petition, urged the Independent Corrupt Practices and other […]
A group, Professional Mediators and Conciliators, has raised the alarm over alleged desperate moves to tarnish the image of the Clerk of the National Assembly, Arch. Ojo Amos Olatunde, through unfounded allegations of shady dealings.
An NGO known as Equity and Transparency Development Initiative had, in a petition, urged the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate Olatunde over interference in ICT contract award.
A statement issued, on Thursday, by Comrade Igbotako Nowinta, Executive Director of the group, maintained that the clerk is a man of impeccable character with an unblemished record of service, and wondered why the NGO is accusing him of abetting espionage as well as influencing the award of ICT contract in the National Assembly to a company in which he has an interest.
According to Comrade Nowinta: “One Ijewa Obioma, whose true identity is yet to be established, accused the clerk of ‘hijacking’ the contract from Nanocom International Limited and Navadee Integrated Nigeria Limited.”
Comrade Nowinta described the allegation contained in the petition as spurious and cheap blackmail that has no substance.
He said there has been orchestrated campaign of calumny directed at the Clerk shortly after the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) relieved his predecessor of his appointment.
He added that: “While we support and encourage the ICPC to dispassionately carry out its statutory function concerning this matter, it is also imperative that members of the Nigerian public critically and objectively view this carefully orchestrated witch-hunt solely aimed to distract Ojo Amos Olatunde Amos unduly.”
The group requested that a Ghanaian contractor, which findings revealed carried out clandestine espionage activities during his contract with the National Assembly, be investigated.
Nowinta said firms that carried out the said ICT contract were engaged in September 2019, long before Mr Ojo assumed duty as the Clerk to the National Assembly, to carry out an audit report of the National Assembly ICT.
“The report of that exercise clearly exposed the humongous rot and corruption being perpetrated by the ICT contractors,” the group said.
The Group noted that rather than vilifying the Clerk, he should be commended because: “Upon assumption of duty and discovery of the sorry state of National Assembly ICT with attendant grave implications on the functionality of the institution as an Arm of government, he swiftly commenced the sanitization of the ICT unit of the National Assembly, given the magnitude of indictment against the former contractors.”