The Senator represent­ing Delta North at the National Assembly, Pe­ter Nwaoboshi, has said that despite the allegation raised against him by the Economic and Financial Crime Com­mission (EFCC), he will not be cowed to remain silent.
He stated this in reaction to the allegation raised by the EFCC that himself and his brother - Augustine Nwao­boshi, supplied used equip­ment in place of new ones to Delta State government and went away with N2.1 billion.
Nwaoboshi who stated this while responding to questions from select journalists in Abu­ja, last Friday, said that since the equipment were supplied seven years ago, the Delta State Government has not lodge any complaint about its status.
Senator Nwaoboshi is said to be one of the die-hard sup­porters of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki.
While faulting the EFCC, the Senator said: “The Delta State that we supplied this equip­ment to; are they complaining that we supplied equipment that is used seven years after the supply?
“As at today, Delta State is not complaining and has not written any petition to the EFCC that they a fairly used equipment was given to them.
“Secondly, have they con­tacted the manufactures of this equipment? The manufacturers of these equipments are Chi­nese companies. Some of them have offices in Nigeria. For example, XCMG is one of the manufacturers of these equip­ment. It has an office in Kadu­na. They also said Cintruck, it has office in Abuja, Lagos and Kaduna and are well known globally.
“All they needed to do is to take the serial number of the equipment we have supplied, give it to the manufacturers of the equipment, and from their they will say this is the year the equipment was manufactured, make, the model, specification, this is the person who ordered it and this is the person who paid for it. This is the date it was paid, this is how we shipped it and this are the end people who collected it from us.
“As at today, they have not contacted the manufactur­ers of these equipment, even their Nigerian office to find out whether this equipment were brought into Nigeria from their office whether they are fairly used of brand new. “
While insinuating that it is a way of fighting him back by the EFCC because of his stand on the confirmation of Magu, Nwaboashi said: “They think they can silence me, I cannot be silenced. Is it just because some of us are in the forefront of saying that Magu should go? Nobody is against Magu, but the Senate of the Federal Re­public of Nigeria has said that they cannot clear Magu. The power of confirmation, by the constitution of the Federal Re­public of Nigeria and the law establishing the EFCC resides with the Senate. In exercise of the statutory power, the senate refused to confirm Magu.
“As a lawyer, if the law says that the power to confirm has been given to the Senate and they have failed to confirm you, you have no other reason to re­main there. This is simple law.”- The Authority