PDP not afraid of probe – Chairman

The Acting Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in Benue State, Godwin Ayiyeh, has said the party was not afraid of probe of its stewardship in the state.

Ayiyeh, however, insisted that the investigation must not be a witch-hunt.

Ayiyeh told the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday in Makurdi that the probe should cover from 1999 to date.

He said: “We are not afraid of any probe, but any government that decides to carry out a probe, that probe must be justified.

“It must not be a probe to witch-hunt people who have passed through government.

“Let the probe be done justifiably.

“Let the people whom they want to probe be taken to court and allow the court processes to take its course.

“In Benue, particularly, we have queried the rationale of the Kangaroo kind of probe, which the All Progressives Congress is doing because an administrative panel was turned into another committee to probe the government.

“All we are saying is that it should start in 1999 during George Akume’s time because that is where you will get the correct perspective of what actually happened in the state.

“Anything short of that is the impunity, which the APC is spearheading.”

The PDP chieftain denied allegation of receiving money from the APC-led government in the state, describing it as laughable.

Ayiyeh said: “I challenge anyone, including Governor Ortom, to come out and prove that they gave me money for whatever purpose.

“I have always stood tall for the PDP and I cannot compromise my standing for the party, not for whatever reasons.”

He, however, explained that he was at the Government House on Monday at the instance of African Independent Television to witness the receipt of a cheque from the state government to the company over compensation for land acquisition.

NAN.