The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice AGF Abubakar Malami has dared the Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC to expose him and the culprits of an alleged bribe reception from the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio.
An online newspaper had on Monday, 11th January, 2021, alleged that Akpabio offered the AGF a bribe of N25million over the appointment of Effiong Akwa as the Sole Administrator for the Commission.
Replying in a statement signed and released on Friday by his Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations, Dr. Umar Jibrilu Gwandu, Malami described the claims as fictitious. “The report, as any fake news, was marred by evincing contradictions, figment of imagination, sheer fabrications and filthy assumptions of mischief makers and detractors”, he said.
The statement stressed that the Malami has not collected and does not intend at any time to receive any gratification from any dealing and discharging any function he is constitutionally empowered to perform. Describing the act of bribery as criminal, Malami called on Nigerians to disregard the information.
He then asked individuals who have any information, if any, regarding those who facilitated, accepted, delivered or took part in one way or the other in the alleged offer and purported acceptance of gratification for him or his office to come out publicly with the information with a view to exposing them and taking further necessary action. Read also: Coronavirus: I Have Never Been Bribed By Any Government – Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde
“Any discerning mind who read the story will not fail to note the desperate attempt to cast aspersions on the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and dent his hard-earned reputation with unsubstantiated allegations spread by perfidious elements. The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN) hereby makes an outright denial of the report in its entirety”, the statement added.
