Obasanjo’s letter: Marafa Dares Senate, fails to appear before Committee

Senator Kabiru Marafa on failed to appear before Senate Committee on Ethics, Priviled and Public Petition over allegation that he denigrated integrity of the Red Chamber through an interview in National newspaper

It could be recalled that Senator Hamman Missau (Bauch)  raised a point of order to draw attention of his colleagues to the remarks by Senator Marafa which he said amounted to denigration of the integrity of the Senate.

But, when the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Sam Anyanwu asked the Committee clerk whether he has contacted Marafa.

The Committee Clerk, while responding to question by the Committee Chairman, Senator Samuel Anyanwu stated that a letter was written officially asking him to appear before the Committee.

He also said he called him on phone and even sent a text message reminding of the meeting, but that he later responded on phone that he had nothing to do with what the Committee was doing.

“We wrote a letter to him officially without his initial response and to be sure, I phoned and sent a text message to him, it was then he said he had nothing to do with what the Committee was doing here”, Osolo said.When contacted, Marafa said he was not aware of the hearing of the committee.

”  When he sent text to me on Tuesday, I replied and I told him that I was in Kaduna with Senator Suleiman Othman Hunkuyi whose mother died. I asked him that a new date should be fixed to enable me attend the hearing.

” I called him the following day but he didn’t pick his calls. And since then I didn’t hear from him until today (yesterday)  when he called me. I told him I was not aware of the hearing.  I’ve made it abundantly clear that I will attend the hearing out of respect for Senate as an institution, “he said.

But, When contacted, Marafa said he was not aware of the hearing of the committee.

”  When he sent text to me on Tuesday, I replied and I told him that I was in Kaduna with Senator Suleiman Othman Hunkuyi whose mother died. I asked him that a new date should be fixed to enable me attend the hearing.

” I called him the following day but he didn’t pick his calls. And since then I didn’t hear from him until today (yesterday)  when he called me. I told him I was not aware of the hearing.  I’ve made it abundantly clear that I will attend the hearing out of respect for Senate as an institution, “he said.

However, Senator  Urhovikhide (PDP) who testified before the Committee and recounted his ordeal following the said media interviews by Marafa, condemning Senate’s proposal for car purchase.

“My phone has been inundated since that interview by Marafa from my constituency, condemning me for caring for car in the Senate rather than concentrating on developing them”, Urhovikhide maintained.

He added that Marafa had right of expression, but that he had impugned on his rights by saying that there was attrition in the Senate

For Diaspora Digital Media Updates click on Whatsapp, or Telegram. For eyewitness accounts/ reports/ articles, write to: citizenreports@diasporadigitalmedia.com. Follow us on X (Fomerly Twitter) or Facebook