Youth and Sports Minister Barrister Solomon Dalung has denied any knowledge of a contract worth N182m said to be awarded by the then Ministry of Youths on 27th Nov, 2013.
Syndicated newspaper reports credited to the Committee on Public Petitions, House of Representatives stated, that Barrister Dalung risked being arrested because he allegedly refused to appear before the committee after seven invitations were communicated to him.
The publication stated that the committee chaired by Rep Uzoma Nkem-Abonta, PDP, Abia also summoned the ministry’s Permanent Secretary and Director of Procurement to appear alongside the Minister to explain their roles over an alleged bribery scam involving a contractor, Solbec Ltd.
Barrister Dalung who is currently on medical vacation however denied receipt of any summon by the committee as well as the said contract.
“I have never been invited by the said NASS committee and never received any invitation from the Committee in respect of the allegations published.
“The contract was said to have been transacted between 27th, November 2013 and October 2015 by the then Ministry of Youth Development while I took an oath of office in November 2015.
I am not even aware of the said transactions as I don’t even know the contractor involved or even the company.
“I did not mandate anybody to collect anything from anybody and so, not in the position to defend it. The whole allegation is coming to me as a surprise because before proceeding on medical vacation, I cannot remember receiving such petition.”
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