Rivers: Umeh denies receiving dollar to support state of emergency

Rivers: Umeh denies receiving dollar to support state of emergency

Senator Victor Umeh, representing Anambra Central Senatorial District, has denied allegations made by Sahara Reporters that he received dollars to support the state of emergency declared by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Rivers State.In a statement, Umeh warned Sahara Reporters to desist from blackmailing him, stating that this was the third time the outfit had published false information about him.Sahara Reporters, an online news outfit, had on Wednesday reported that senators collected bribes amounting to $10,000 to approve the president’s decision to suspend the governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara.The newspaper also alleged that Senator Umeh was among the senators disbursing the money to other senators at the private lodge of the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, in Abuja.However, in response, Umeh stated that he did not receive any money to support the approval of the state of emergency in Rivers State and was not present at the alleged meeting on Wednesday where $10,000 was reportedly distributed to 42 senators, let alone being one of the key figures who organized the event.He said: “I did not receive any money to support the approval of the state of emergency in Rivers State. I was not at any meeting where such payments were allegedly made.”Umeh explained that on the evening of Tuesday, he attended the traditional Iftar (breaking of fasting) gathering at the Senate Guest House with their Muslim brothers and sisters, where he was asked to say the Christian prayer after Senator Adamu Aliero had said the Muslim prayer at the conclusion of the Iftar.“I prayed for God to grant peace to all parts of Nigeria and reconciliation to all the warring parties in Rivers State.“I prayed for love and for all Nigerians to embrace one another for the good of our nation. We did not discuss a state of emergency in Rivers State at the Iftar. There were other Labour Party senators at the Iftar.”The senator described the Sahara Reporters story as blackmail, stressing that it did not represent the truth.He assured his constituents that such reports would not distract him from providing good representation, adding that the aim of the detractors was to create disaffection between him and the people and to impugn his reputation.“This is not the first time Sahara Reporters has published false information about me. It’s becoming serial blackmail, and I’m warning them to stop. I will not be distracted by their false reports, and I will continue to serve my constituents with dignity and integrity,” Umeh declared.

Source: Rivers: Umeh denies receiving dollar to support state of emergency

 - NigerianEye

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