BY NONYELUM JULIET
Kaduna
The Northern Emancipation Network (NEN) has taken strong exception to recent call by former Aviation Minister, Osita Chidoka for action against the the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and its leadership.
In a strongly-worded statement signed by its Secretary General, Suleiman Abbah, NEN said, Chidoka had better clear his name of pending investigation of financial sleaze than engage in advising President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the wrong direction.
Abbah in the statement recalled that the former Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka has a pending N3.9billion fraud investigation at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
“It is shameless and opportunistic for Chidoka who is on the hook in a case of conspiracy and diversion of public fund in the N3.9billion contract for the procurement and Installation of sensitive security cameras/ infrastructure at the five International Airports to now have the audacity to point at other obviously more credible agencies.
“Nigerians would first of all demand from Chidoka convincing explanations for the following pending scandal questions before he may be seen as competent to venture public comments.
“First Chidoka should explain his involvement in the discovery of a scam when Bri and Bru sub contracted the above project to another company Surcomtec Nigeria Limited owned by one Chibuzo Obi in whose account in America the total sum of $4,370,365.00, equivalent to N2,400,000,000.00 was traced.
“He should also explain how from the account of the company various payments were made to him and some of his family members, director of Consumer Investment Limited and his younger brother, Obinna Chidoka,” NEN challenged the former Minister.
The group also recalled the yet to be resolved incident of a Nigerian Private jet seized in South Africa for smuggling the sum of $9.3 million cash, into that country when Chidoka was Aviation Minister.
“Unless Chidoka can satisfactorily explain his role in all these and other official misdemeanors, he should count himself incompetent to speak on important national issues.
“It is even more insane when Chidoka chose to challenge the INEC, an agency universally credited with conducting the most credible, free and fair elections in the Nigeria’s democratic history.
“It is obvious that Chidoka, and others bad losers like him, can still not stomach the humiliating defeat they suffered in the hands of President Tinubu which they want to vent on the leadership of INEC for simply being an unbiased umpire” NEN said
