Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma has eventually opened up on his arrest as earlier confirmed by the Special Presidential Investigation Panel For Recovery of Public Property. He also bared his mind on the 12 million dollars fraud allegation case and other issues…
“I was never arrested. I also read it in papers like every other Nigerian.”
“Before I came to the senate, I came from the private sector. I was in oil and gas and marine operations. I operated Niger Global. In 2004 we participated in an international deal and Nigeria Ports Authority was looking for partners to manage the channels and we were lucky.”
“We were one of the companies that formed the consortium to manage Calabar Channels. Calabar Channels Management Company is a joint venture being operated by the NPA. They have the major shareholders. They have 60 per cent shareholding and then the consortium of like six other companies had different shares.”
“Niger Global had five per cent share and there is a five member board, where NPA has three and the consortium of companies two. Before I came to Senate, I was in the board and the technical partners to the consortium dredged the Calabar Channel under the supervision of the Calabar Management Board.”
“All I know is that some aggrieved persons are behind this, otherwise where was this panel since 2004. I was in the 7th Senate from 2011 to 2015, why did this issue not come out. I have been here in the 8th senate from 2015 to date why didn’t the issue come up.”
“To the best of my knowledge, the company worked, even though I am not in the management anymore but I am still one of the minority shareholders of that company. If there is any question that must be answered by the company, the majority shareholder should first answer their own query.”
“If anything, I am a serving senator and a ranking one at that and the Chairman of the Southern Senators Forum.”
“Before I joined politics, of course I came from the private sector that is why I became even surprised when the panel said I should declare my asset for the past 20 years. I have never seen anywhere in any law where private people are made to declare their asset to government.”
“The Presidential Committee wrote me sometimes last month asking for my asset declaration form alleging that I did not declare my asset. I replied and attached my declaration form and copied the Attorney General of the Federation whom I suppose they are working under.”