The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, has denied claims linking him to an alleged N18.6 billion contract scandal involving the National Assembly Service Commission building project.
The reaction came in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Musa Krishi, who said the clarification became necessary following a report based on allegations raised by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project.
According to the statement, “The Office of the Speaker, House of Representatives, has observed recent media reports stemming from an allegation by SERAP suggesting that the Speaker failed to account for a purported sum of N18.6 billion relating to the National Assembly Service Commission headquarters building.”
The Speaker maintained that he has no involvement in the award, processing, supervision or payment of any contract within the National Assembly structure. He explained that such matters are completely handled by the administrative arm of the legislature.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Speaker wishes to state that he has no involvement, directly or indirectly, in any contract. Contractual matters within the National Assembly are the exclusive responsibility of the administrative bureaucracy,” the statement said.
He added that SERAP itself acknowledged that the project was conceived and awarded long before the current House leadership took office.
He noted that attempts to connect him or the House leadership to the matter are “factually incorrect and misleading.”
He urged SERAP, the media and the public to observe institutional boundaries and avoid attributing administrative or procurement decisions to his office.
