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The Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila has directed the Clerk of the House to sue Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, for alleged perjury and defamation of the parliament.
Akpabio had on Monday, while appearing before an investigative hearing of the House Committee on Niger Delta Development Commission, alleged that members of the National Assembly got 60 per cent of contracts from the commission.
The Speaker, Gbajabiamila, on Tuesday asked the minister to provide details of the contracts within 24 to 48 hours.
Speaking on the floor of the house on Thursday, Gbajabiamila said he will not allow anyone “assassinate the character of the House.”
“This morning, I asked the clerk of the house of representatives to engage the services of legal counsel, and instruct them to initiate a criminal complaint of perjury against the minister.
“At the same time, we will instruct counsel to explore the possibility of a civil defamation suit against the minister.
“The House of Representatives is a public trust placed in our care for the duration of our term in office. We must prove ourselves worthy of this public trust or risk the censure of history.
“Therefore, we will resist every attempt to undermine this institution, whether such attempts come from within or from outside. This house will live up to the highest expectations of the Nigerian people. This is our commitment, and we will not fail,” he said.
Gbajabiamila said he had consequently asked the Clerk to the House, Patrick Giwa, to consult the Legal Department on how to institute legal action against Akpabio for perjury and criminal defamation.