Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petition, Senator Sam Anyanwu (PDP-Imo East), has said no one can fault the committee’s report on Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi.
Anyawu was reacting to suggestion that Nigerians might have no faith in the committee following the circumstance surrounding the confirmation Amaechi as minister during his screening by the Senate.
He said, “Our report on Amaechi cannot be faulted in any way. We have received commendations from over five Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) for standing firm. I do not have any grudges against anybody; I am only doing my job. I am one man nobody can put in his pocket.
“I don’t fight for anybody, I do the right thing. If people do not have confidence in this committee, they will be demoralized and discouraged from sending in petitions.”
He added that ordinary Nigerians who were wrongfully dismissed from their offices, “who did not have money to go to court or fear of persecution” have brought their cases before the committee.
“When we ask agencies to re-instate people who were wrongfully dismissed, we equally insist that such persons are not victimized. This is people’s parliament; we are the voice of the voiceless,” he said.
He also said the committee would not do the bidding of Senate President Bukola Saraki, on the petition against Code of Conduct Tribunal Chairman, Danladi Umar.
Anyanwu, reacting to allegation that the committee would likely do the bidding of Saraki, who is standing trial before the Code of Conduct Tribunal over alleged false declaration of assets said that the committee owed Nigerians and nobody else, the responsibility to treat the petition on merit.
According to him, the fact that the petition is coming at a time Saraki is standing trial at the CCT would not stop the committee from carrying out its constitutional responsibility creditably.
“Once the petition against Danladi is sent to our secretariat, we will take a look at it, and be rest assured that if we find nothing in the petition, of course, we will write our report.
“I want to say that I am not doing anybody’s bidding; I have the capacity and I make researches and I have time for fact-finding and come out with a position.
“Why should Saraki use me to do his bidding? Why would Saraki use any senator to do his bidding? He is my colleague; he is just the Senate President, one among equals.
“He was elected by his constituents and my constituents brought me here. So, it not about doing Saraki’s bidding. If I have a responsibility to discharge my duty based on the petition because I am Chairman of Ethics and Privileges, I will do it. The most important thing is your conscience,’’ he said.
The lawmaker said the National Assembly is determined to support President Muhammadu Buhari in the fight against corruption.
He said the legislature would stop at nothing to ensure Nigeria assumes its pride of place in the comity of nations.
