Senate president Ken Nnamani yesterday indicated that he would institute a legal action against ThisDay newspapers and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over a report published in the newspaper which claimed that he (Nnamani) benefited from a multi-million naira contract from INEC.

ThisDay had yesterday named some companies that did business with it for the purpose of the last general election, including Alkatex Nigeria Ltd, purportedly owned by the Senate president. But in a swift reaction to the publication, Nnamani said "for people to publish this, I will be speaking louder by tomorrow (today) because there are procedures and I’m assuring you people (senators) that I will not let you down. I have no company called Alkatex and it can be verified. (I have) None. I have companies but not Alkatex and no company of mine has done any work with any ministry or parastatal or institution in Nigeria."

Reiterating his intent to sue the newspaper and INEC, he asked: "Who owns Alkatex?" "That should be verified. Maybe my retirement benefits can come out of this, because for N50 million blackmail…"

Explaining himself further, he stated: "The Alkatex mentioned in the publication is unknown to me. The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) can prove this and I would be replying INEC and ThisDay (newspaper) by tomorrow (today). I feel strongly about this."

He emphasized that he had taken steps to avoid bringing the legislature to disrepute by sacrificing in terms of business and contracts. He wondered how companies belonging to ‘small boys and girls’ can carry out businesses denominated in billions of naira and dollars while that belonging to Ken Nnamani would go for N50 million. He said the amount didn’t matter, but that there was indeed a "conflict of interest."

"I did not participate in that bazaar, the bazaar that went on in INEC. No company associated with Ken Nnamani participated in it. I call it a bazaar," he declared.

These allegations come on the heels of the Senate’s resolution to probe INEC’s expenditure during the last April polls as appropriated to it by the National Assembly. INEC alleged that voting cubicles for the purpose of voting in the last election were contracted to Alkatex Nigeria Ltd for the sum of N50 million. The company was alleged to have supplied only 1,800 out of 36,392 units of cubicles.

In spite of the publication, the Senate yesterday went ahead to inaugurate a joint committee to commence the probe of INEC.

The joint committee headed by Senator Emmanuel Agboti is made up of the public accounts committee, Senate INEC committee and the appropriation committee.

Inaugurating the probe committee, Ken Nnamani, Senate president, made it clear that "this joint committee on INEC has a simple mandate. It should investigate how INEC spent the billions of naira appropriated for it. It should find out whether the principles of fiscal responsibility and due process were strictly applied and whether Nigerians received value for the enormous amount of money spent to conduct the April elections. It is charged with the responsibility of investigating how INEC spent public funds to conduct the last April elections."

Responding on behalf of members of the committee, chairman of the joint committee, Senator Emmanuel Agboti, stated: "What we demand of INEC as concerned individuals and organizations is absolute support and cooperation to enable the committee achieve its set target."

Agboti said INEC was particularly requested to assemble its documents and keep its doors open to the committee, as it was determined to be diligent to achieve this within record time. The committee is expected to submit their report next Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Senate yesterday also set up a seven-man committee to investigate the contract allegation against the Senate president, Ken Nnamani.

The committee which is expected to submit its report on Tuesday next week has Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora as chairman. Other members are Senator Victor Oyofo, Idris Kuta, Joy Emordi, Lawali Shuaibu, Baba Tela and Senator Koleosho.