Ekweremadu Denies Pocketing N8billion From Constitution Amendment

Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, on Sunday said members of the Constitution amendment Committee of the 7th Senate did not pocket N8 billion as claimed by a report.

Ekweremadu, who was chairman of the committee, said “fathom pocketing of public funds is a figment of the imagination of those behind the report.”

He noted that the 4th Alteration of the Constitution by the National Assembly was not a failure as the report claimed, saying rather the Alteration was sabotaged by vested interests in the Presidency in order to abort some fundamental alterations.

Ekweremadu said these in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media, Uche Anichukwu.

He said the clarification became necessary following a report by an online medium that members of the National Assembly Constitution Amendment Committee pocketed N8 billion in a failed constitution amendment exercise.

The statement said, “The Office of the Deputy Senate President wishes to state categorically that there was no ‘pocketing’ of N8 billion by members of the Committee on Constitution Review in the 7th Senate chaired by Senator Ekweremadu.

“Such fathom pocketing of public funds is a figment of the imagination of the peddlers and their paymasters. For emphasis, the Senate Committee on Constitution Review does not have any account domiciled with the Guarantee Trust Bank as alleged by the report.

“For clarity, constitution amendment as an expenditure item is covered by the Appropriation Act of each year and disbursed by the appropriate bureaucracy of the National Assembly for the purpose it was appropriated in accordance with extant rules.”