Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Sen. Ita Enang, said he was not a witness in the ongoing forgery case against some members of the Senate as had been reported in some dailies.
Enang told newsmen in Abuja on Friday that contrary to media reports, the presidency was not lining up its aides as witnesses in the case.
He clarified that the Police only invited him for questioning in 2015 as the chairman of the Committee on Rules and Business of the 7th Senate.
He explained that he was invited as a principal suspect in the forgery case and as such, on July 3, 2015, he made his statement on the matter to the police.
“I was the chairman of the Rules and Business Committee of the 7th Senate, which ended plenary on June 4, 2015 and the 8th Senate was inaugurated on June 9, 2015.
“The lnspector-General of Police wrote to the Clerk to the National Assembly requesting him to ask some key officials of the 7th Senate to have an audience with the police.
“The Senate President, Deputy Senate President, Majority Leader, Clerk of the National Assembly, Clerk of Senate, Chairman, Rules and Business and Secretary, Rules and Business, were invited.
“ l, on July 3, 2015 met with the police who alleged that I am suspected to have amended the Standing Orders in issue being the Chairman of Rules and Business committee of the 7th Senate.
“l was asked to make a written statement on the matter and I did on the said July 3, 2015, denying the allegation.
“It was from the statement of other persons of interest, after my statement that the police may have formed an opinion as to who did what.
“The Police listed me as a witness as to the procedure for amendment, having made a statement on the matter.”
He stressed that all of those happened before he was appointed an aide to President Muhammadu Buhari, adding that there was no basis for insinuating that the president’s aides were being used as witnesses.
He further stressed that he had not made any further statement on the matter to the police apart from the one which he tendered in writing on July 3, 2015. (NAN)
•Photo shows Sen. Ita Enang.
NEWS EXPRESS is Nigeria’s leading online newspaper. Published by Africa’s international award-winning journalist, Mr. Isaac Umunna, NEWS EXPRESS is Nigeria’s first truly professional online daily newspaper. It is published from Lagos, Nigeria’s economic and media hub, and has a provision for occasional special print editions. Thanks to our vast network of sources and dedicated team of professional journalists and contributors spread across Nigeria and overseas, NEWS EXPRESS has become synonymous with newsbreaks and exclusive stories from around the world.