The House of Representatives on Tuesday condemned in very strong terms corruption allegation levelled against the former head of state, General Yakubu Gowon by a member of the British House of Common.
The lawmakers who took turns to speak opposed the allegation that the former head of state looted half of the Central Bank of Nigeria, noting that it was capable of inciting violence and disrupt the peace of the country.
The House in unanimously resolved to write to the British Parliament to tender a public apology to the former Head of State and Nigerians.
The resolution followed a motion under matters of urgent national importance moved by Representative Yusuf GAGDI from Plateau State.
Rep.Yusuf Gagdi submitted that the British High Commission should be made to explain the issue to the house.
According to him, “Yakubu Gowon is under my constituency and the statement that went viral should not be made by a parliament as such in the UK.
“It beats my imagination that the country’s parliamentarian, Tom Tugendhat, the consecutive member of for Tonbridge and Mailing and Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Selected Committee of the House of the Commons, had accused former Head of State of Nigeria, General Yakubu Gowon of taking half of the Central Bank of Nigeria with him when he went on exile to the United Kingdom (UK) after the toppled in a military coup.
He continued, ” the recalcitrance of Tugendhat , MP in this matter gives credence to suggestions in certain quarters that the careless utterance was not made in error, but rather calculated attempt to exploit the faultiness of Nigeria society to create conflict, exacerbate crisis and create conditions that make governing doubtful and progress impossible.
He insisted that the British MP had to evidence to back up his accusation.
On his part, Mr kingsley Chinda who made an amendment to the motion urged that the motions be stepped down and the House Committees on Foreign Affairs and Diplomatic Relation and Interparliamentary to investigate the allegations and reach out to the parliament as the statement was not a position of the parliament but a statement by a member.
According to him, “General Gowon has never been attributed to any form of crime and he has made various contributions to the country and cannot be allowed to be ridiculed by such accusations”.
Ruling on the matter, the Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila said, “this is a parliament to parliament issue although the matter generated a lot international and national discourse. This is quite unfortunate for a parliamentarian to vituperates on a parliament”, he submitted. The motion was adopted
Recall that Mr. Tom Tugendhat, a member of the British parliament, made the allegation on Monday, November 23, when British lawmakers debated a petition calling for the sanction against Nigerian government officials allegedly involved in human rights abuses amid the #EndSARS protests.
Yakubu Gowon (rtd), has since reacted to the allegation that he stole half of the country’s central bank when he moved to the United Kingdom on exile after his overthrow in July 1975.
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