Stella Oduah, a former Minister of Aviation and senator (PDP-Anambra North), on Monday denied reports that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission was on her trail for allegedly stashing nearly N2.5 billion in a bank account she set up using the identity of her domestic aide.
Ms. Oduah, who said she received the reports while relaxing in her country home in Anambra State, challenged those who published the allegations to publish proofs that substantiate her guilt.
News website, SaharaReporters, had on Sunday reported EFCC sources as revealing to it how Ms. Oduah used the name and pictures of the unnamed maid to set up the account.
“Senator Oduah apparently opened the account with her housemaid’s name, image, and details without the housemaid knowing about it,” Sahara Reporters quoted one of the EFCC sources as saying.
The account, the report said, was still active as at last week.
But in a rebuttal her office sent to the press about 9 a.m. Monday, Ms. Oduah said the reports were “totally false, baseless and at best the imagination of the platform.”
Read the press statement released by the senator and signed by Francisca Onyeisi below;
The attention of Senator Stella Oduah representing Anambra North Senatorial District has been drawn to another malicious and fictitious rumour by online tabloid Sahara Reporters that a non existent source in Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have discovered the sum of N2.5 Billion Naira in an account opened in the name of unnamed housemaid of Senator Stella Oduah.
We will like to state unequivocally that this report is totally false, baseless and at best the imagination of the platform who is only set out to extort and blackmail leaders in its continuous attempt by their paymasters to break the rank of Senators of the 8th Assembly.
Over the past few months, the once respected online platform, Sahara Reporters has continued to surpass itself by continuously sinking to an all time low of posting uncorroborated reports to mislead Nigerians to promote the agenda of certain elements who’s fight against corruption can only been seen on pages of newspaper and pockets of their media spinners while millions of Nigerians remain unemployed and hundreds of thousands of kids go to bed hungry day in day out.
The online platform claimed their sources in EFCC said a whopping 5.6 billion must have been stolen, then went further to contradict itself that the agency had determined it was 3.6 Billion then again reduced it to 2.5 billion in the same publication. The distinguish Senator laments the despicable low that Sahara Reporters has drawn the reputable profession of journalism too which unfortunately unsuspecting platforms will copy and paste on theirs without even lifting a pen to confirm the story. Senator further went to challenge if truly such account exists as claimed by the online platform and it is still operational and she not the so called housemaid have not been called in for questioning when the agency is freezing accounts and going after opposition governors who enjoy same level of immunity as the president.
Senator Stella Oduah who made a name for herself during her tenure as a minister instituting serious reforms in the aviation sector and in last one year as a Distinguish Senator has raised series of important Bills and Motions to help strengthen the Nigerian Economy and our institutions reiterated that at no time did she ask or try to meet with the EFCC Chairman
Senator Stella Oduah who is currently in her constituency thanked her supporters and well wishers who have reached out to vent their frustrations at the unethical behavior of the tabloid assured them that there is nothing to worry about, restating that no such accounts exist and challenged Sahara reporters to present details of their funding and how the platform is able to afford a property in choice area of Maitama in Abuja
The attention of Senator Stella Oduah who represents Anambra North Senatorial District has been draw to another malicious and fictitious rumour by online tabloid Sahara Reporters that a non-existent source in the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has discovered the sum of N2.5 Billion in an account opened in the name of an unnamed housemaid of Senator Stella Oduah.
We would like to state unequivocally that this report is totally false, baseless and at best the imagination of the platform who is only set out to extort and blackmail leaders in its continuous attempt by their paymasters to break the rank of Senators of the 8th Assembly.
Over the past few months, the once respected online platform, Sahara Reporters has continued to surpass itself by continuously sinking to an all time low of posting uncorroborated reports to mislead Nigerians to promote the agenda of certain elements who’s fight against corruption can only been seen on pages of newspaper and pockets of their media spinners while millions of Nigerians remain unemployed and hundreds of thousands of kids go to bed hungry day in day out.
The online platform claimed their sources in the EFCC said a whopping N5.6 billion must have been stolen, then went further to contradict itself that the agency had determined it was N3.6 billion then again reduced it to N2.5 billion in the same publication. The distinguish Senator laments the despicable low that Sahara Reporters has drawn the reputable profession of journalism too which unfortunately unsuspecting platforms will copy and paste on theirs without even lifting a pen to confirm the story.
Recast: Senator further went to challenge if truly such an account exists as claimed by the online platform and it is still operational and she not the so called housemaid have not been called in for questioning when the agency is freezing accounts and going after opposition governors who enjoy same level of immunity as the president.
We also want to state that while the online platform, well known for its penchant lies and spurious allegations may have made another calculated attempt to taint the enviable record and achievements of the distinguished Senator who had made a mark in Oil/Gas and Agricultural businesses before joining politics, we therefore challenge Sahara Reporters to produce evidence of the imaginary account of the supposed housemaid to members of the public.
Senator Stella Oduah who made a name for herself during her tenure as a minister instituting serious reforms in the aviation sector and in last one year as a Distinguish Senator has raised series of important Bills and Motions to help strengthen the Nigerian Economy and our institutions reiterated that at no time did she ask or try to meet with the EFCC Chairman
Senator Stella Oduah who is currently in her constituency thanked her supporters and well wishers who have reached out to vent their frustrations at the unethical behavior of the tabloid assured them that there is nothing to worry about, restating that no such account exist and challenged Sahara reporters to present details of their funding and how the platform is able to afford a property in choice area of Maitama in Abuja.
Signed
Francisca Onyeisi (ugleglo@gmail.com)
Head of a Communications
office of Senate Stella Oduah
