Members of the Concerned citizens Group have faulted the media reportage that flooded the social and mainstream media over the summon of the officials of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited NNPCL by the Senate Committee on Public Accounts addressed by the chairman of the committee, Senator Ahmed Wadada.

The group in a statement signed by it’s coordinator Comrade Abdullahi Abdullahi revealed that Senator Wadada in the media report alleged that over N210 trillion discrepancies in the audited books of the NNPCL and other sundry unsatisfactory and unacceptable explanation on financial dealings of the NNPCL between 2017-2023.

According to him, the media reports is a deliberate act to weaponise the Senate and fight a personal battle aimed at achieving a personal goal by the Senate Committee Chairman. Ahmed Wadada.

Mr Abdullahi maintained that, as members of Concerned citizens who have followed the various reactions with keen interest, and the antecedents of the group known for championing the course of public accountability and open scrutiny of public office holders have concluded that the committee chairman is pursuing a hidden personal agenda.

He said “We are worried that despite the legitimacy of the call for accountability by public office holders, abusing , misuse and or weaponising such powers and rights for personal vendetta through deliberate blackmail, witch hunt and using the media for manipulation is not acceptable.

“As Concerned citizens, we hold in high esteem the Nigeria Senate as a well respected institution, that have represented the Nigeria people well.

Abdullahi noted that “Based on our knowledge of the role the Nigeria Senate play in ensuring public accountability through the constitutional power of oversight, legislation and budgetary control which was bestowed on the Senate by the constitution (sections 88 and 89). We cannot remain mute seeing some persons making frantic effort to destroy the reputation of the Senate for their personal agenda.

“We are also aware that it is within the power of the Senate to monitor executive branch compliance, and auditing MDAs expenditures to reduce corruption and to also investigate and reviews report from the Auditor-General of the federation on public accounts to identify mismanagement and to also conduct public hearing and investigation into allegation of corruption.

“As concerned citizens interested in public matters such as this, we noticed with regret an attempt by the chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts Senator Ahmed Wadada to weaponise this powers and rights of the Senate to fight a personal battle.

“. It is rather unfortunate to reduce a Senate probe into an avenue of public blackmail by engaging in mudslinging and media paparazzi just to attract crowd bullying and deliberately mislead Nigeria citizens for a personal interest.

“As a group we will not allowed few members of the Senate driven by personal political interest and ambition to tarnish the image of the senate and derail genuine and sincere fight against corruption through a back door arm twisting of persons they are supposed to give fair hearing in giving account of their stewardship to the nation.

“We can stated with certainty that if the committee on Public Accounts headed by Senator Ahmed Wadada extended a formal invitation to the persons involved for the public hearing, the invitation will be honoured.

These persons have repeated maintained that the are ready to respond to call to account for their stewardship and are ready for public scrutiny, and when you are aware of this and still embark on controversial media war and resorted to name calling and quoting bogus figures to stir the crowd against the people involved called to question your interest and intention.

‘We understand the pressure especially financial pressure that come with nursing ambition to be a Governor and Senator Ahmed Wadada should not allow this pressure nto force him to engage in any untoward practice of media blackmail to force people to fund his governorship ambition.

Signed

Comrade Abdullahi Abdullahi National COORDINATOR Concerned Citizens Group