By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
A coalition of Arewa groups led by the Northern Stakeholders Consultative Forum (NSCF) along with 72 other civil society organisations (CSOs) have accused Hon.
Ikenga Ugochinyere, the member representing Ideato North/South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives of fresh plots to blackmail the speaker of the House, Hon. Tajudeen Abass, as well as the deputy speaker, Hon. Kalu Benjamin, over a House committee position.
The northern groups further urged the House to probe Hon. Ugochinyere’s alleged sinister moves to discredit the green chamber.
Recall that the speaker had dissolved the ad-hoc Joint Downstream and Midstream Committee co-chaired by Hon. Ugochinyere set up to investigate the importation of adulterated petroleum products, the non-availability of crude oil for domestic refineries, and other energy security issues. A statement by the house further disclosed that a new committee will be inaugurated to probe the developments in the oil sector.
Reports say that the committee was disbanded following allegations of unruly behaviour by Hon. Ugochinyere, who is also the chairman, House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream). It was alleged that Mr Ikenga hijacked the committee, including singlehandedly signing documents that ought to have been jointly signed by both chairmen.
Speaking at a press conference in Kaduna on Tuesday, the convener of NSCF, Alhaji Yerima Shettima, alleged that in his bid to force his way back into the new committee, Hon. Ugochinyere had hired private investigators to gather damaging information against the speaker and his deputy to blackmail them.
According to Yerima; in recent weeks, Nigeria has been enveloped in significant turmoil, particularly within the energy sector. This tumultuous climate, exacerbated by the ongoing tensions between the Dangote Refinery and regulatory bodies, compels us to reflect on the implications of the actions — or inactions — of our lawmakers In light of our commitment to promoting transparency, we have undertaken an investigative approach regarding the recent crisis surrounding the joint committee tasked with overseeing the oil industry.
“Our ongoing investigations have unearthed deeply troubling patterns of behavior. As recently as July 4, 2024, unusual activities were reported around the House of Representatives premises. Subsequent inquiries unveiled that private investigators had been engaged by Mr. Ugochinyere, purportedly to gather information for the purpose of blackmail against the speaker of the House, Hon. Tajudeen Abass, as well as the deputy speaker, Hon. Kalu Benjamin. These actions appear to be aimed at assembling compromising evidence to intimidate them into allowing his continued leadership of the Committee on Petroleum (Downstream).
In our quest for truth, we earnestly call upon the leadership of the House of Representatives to procure and review the CCTV footage from the house complex on the mentioned date. We are confident that these recordings will validate the claims, revealing various meetings held between Hon. Ugochinyere and the private investigators within his office premises.
“Alarmingly, it seems Mr. Ugochinyere sought to obscure his conversations by augmenting the volume of a television, mistakenly believing it would mask their dialogues from surveillance devices.
However, we assert that these security measures successfully captured their exchanges, laying bare the malicious intent behind their actions.
“Moreover, we have uncovered indications that Mr. Ugochinyere harbors aspirations to cultivate deleterious information about Deputy Speaker Kalu, whom he views as a potential rival.
This rivalry appears to stem from the perception that Deputy Speaker Kalu operates as a facilitator for funds from the Dangote Refinery. Such dynamics illustrate a troubling environment, where personal ambitions overshadow civic duty.
“The unsettling reality we confront today reflects an assembly that has deviated from the ideals of service and integrity —an institution where the corrupted ethos has permeated the legislative framework. The allegations against Hon. Ugochinyere Ikenga underscores a disconcerting narrative of exploitation and corruption, which is detrimental to the trust bestowed upon our legislative representatives.
“In the interest of restoring public confidence and institutional integrity, we implore the speaker of the house to initiate a comprehensive investigation into these serious allegations, particularly concerning the activities of the disbanded committee. The broader implications of such behaviour — if left unchecked — pose a significant risk to our democratic foundations and must be addressed with utmost severity.”