Sen. Uzodinma shuns Presidential Panel

Sen. Hope Uzodinma, on Tuesday defied invitation by the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for Recovery of Public Property to him to appear and answer questions over alleged fraud against him.

Spokesperson of the panel, Ms Lucie-Ann Laha, disclosed this to newsmen in Abuja late on Tuesday after a long wait by the panel’s officials and newsmen for the senator.

Our correspondent recalls that Uzodinma was on Sunday arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, by the police at the instance of the panel.

He was arrested in connection of a case on alleged failure of his company to execute a contract of 12 million dollars for the dredging of Calabar Port channel.

He was released same day after an interrogation session with officials of the panel, who released him and directed that he should return on Tuesday for continuation of the probe.

The spokesperson said the senator had defied the invitation by failure to appear at the panel’s office as agreed.

An earlier statement by Chairman of the Panel, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla, said that Uzodinma had been evading arrest for about a year.

“The panel is investigating economic sabotage against Sen. Uzodinma arising out of the failure of his company to execute a contract of 12 million dollars for the dredging of Calabar channel awarded by the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA),” the statement said.