LAGOS NOVEMBER 2ND (URHOBOTODAY)-Former Niger Delta Minister, Elder Godsday Orubebe, raised the alarm Sunday that he was being persecuted for his support and closeness to former President Goodluck Jonathan. Orubebe, who is being charged to the Code of Conduct Tribunal, told a press conference in Abuja on Sunday that he had not committed any offense to warrant being vilified by the present administration.
The former minister also declared that he had never demanded and collected a bribe throughout his six-year sojourn as a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He said he was convinced that the CCT was out to frame him given the way it had already begun his ‘trial’ in the media when he had only been served with the summons to appear before the court on November 9, 2015.
He said: “I was served with Code of Conduct Tribunal summons on Friday last week and the paper, which I personally signed and collected stated that I was expected to appear before them on November the ninth.
“I was taken aback by the news that I had already been arraigned. This tells me that it is an issue of witch hunt which is not good for this country. It is not good to take me to the public court before being tried.
“The issues contained in the summons are that I took N50 million bribe from one of the contractors who handled a project for the ministry of Niger Delta and another N20 million from the same contractor as well as not declaring my plots of land in Asokoro and Kyame districts of Abuja. I find these charges very empty and frivolous.
Meanwhile, the Code of Conduct Bureau will arraigning former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs Godsday Peter Orubebe on the 9th of November, 2015 on a four count charge, at Code of Conduct Tribunal, bordering on breach of Code of Conduct of Bureau and Tribunal Act.
This is sequel to service on the former Minister by the bailiff of the Code of Conduct Tribunal he will be arraigned on November 9th.
Urhobotoday learnt that the charges were filed by Peter Danladi (Esq) of Code of Conduct Bureau, on the 8th of October 2015, on behalf of Attorney General of the Federation.
According to a statement by Ibraheem Al-hassan, Head, Press & Public Relations.CCT HQ the charges are: that you Godsday Peter Orubebe while being a Minister of Federal Republic of Nigeria in charged Niger Delta Affairs, on or about June 29th 2011 did make a false declaration in your Asset Declaration Form by failing to declare plot 2722 Kyamu District Abuja on assumption of office on 26th September 2007 and on leaving office (at the end of your tenure), on June 29, 2011 and you thereby committed an offence under section 15 of Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act Cap C15 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and as incorporated under paragraph 11(1) & (2) of part 1 fifth schedule to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and punishable under section 23(2) of the CCB & T Act and as incorporated under paragraph 18 of part 1, fifth schedule to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).