Muhammad Kazaure, a member of the House of Representatives, has stated that the Presidential Committee established by President Muhammadu Buhari to recover Stamp Duties is legitimate and independent.
Kazaure, the Committee’s Secretary, stated this in a statement on Sunday in response to claims made by the Presidential Spokesman, Garba Shehu, about the committee’s activities.
Remember that Kazaure claimed that some forces prevented him from submitting a one-month report to the president regarding the discovery of over N89 trillion in Stamp Duty in three accounts held by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.
Shehu, in a statement, refuted the claim, claiming that the committee was disbanded on the president’s orders.
However, Kazaure stated that the president, who appointed the committee, directed its members to collaborate with the Department of State Service, DSS, in the investigation, warning that none of his appointees should interfere.
He said:
I wish to draw the attention of the general public to a recent statement credited to Mallam Shehu, where he dismissed the committee legitimately set up by President Buhari to investigate activities of the CBN, Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc, NIBSS and other financial institutions.
Ordinarily, I wouldn’t join any issues with Mallam Shehu but I will like him to answer these pertinent questions: was he there when the committee was set up? Why was the committee asked not to work under minister or Secretary to Government of the Federation?
As a Nigerian, no law stops me from carrying out an assignment given to me by the commander-in- chief of the armed forces.”l
Other members include the DG SSS, a retired DG of NIA, and retired commissioner of police Muhammad Wakili.
If the committee is illegitimate, why are they collaborating with those around the President to prevent me from gaining access?