I Never Blocked Minimah’s Confirmation As COAS – Hon Peterside

The chairman, House Committee on Petroleum (Downstream) in the House of Representatives, Hon. Dakuku Adolphus Peterside, has denied allegations that he connived with Rivers State governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi to block the confirmation of Major General Kenneth Minimah as the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) by the National Assembly.
Peterside represents Andoni/Opobo/Nkoro federal constituency of Rivers State, the home-constituency of Minimah, whose appointment was recently, confirmed by the National Assembly, along with three other service chiefs.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State had over the weekend accused the federal lawmaker and Amaechi of making several clandestine moves to thwart the process of screening and clearing of the new COAS by the National Assembly.
The party, in a statement signed by the media aide to the state chairman, Jerry Needam, particularly took a swipe at the legislator, wondering why he connived with the governor and his APC allies in the state to try to deny the army general such a befitting appointment by the president.
But, Peterside, in a statement issued in Port Harcourt yesterday denied the allegation and described the allegation by the PDP as a means to ingratiate themselves with their paymasters in Abuja.
The statement reads in part: “This is patently cheap lies by the PDP to curry favour from their paymasters in Abuja that have consistently promoted division amongst people and elevated impunity to new heights.
“Common sense will tell any broad-minded person that I am one person out of 360 members of the House of Representatives that cannot, on my own, block the clearance of anybody in the National Assembly more so my constituent, friend and relative. “
“My duty in the National Assembly is primarily law making and representational. That duty of representation I owe primarily to my constituents, including General Minimah whom I have related with over the years and have come to have great respect for as a gentleman, honest and hardworking patriot.”
“To make it more laughable and expose the ignorance of the PDP desperadoes, General Minimah and his colleagues have been cleared by the Senate and House Committees on Defence; therefore, I cannot understand where this story of blocking General Minimah’s clearance is coming from.
“This further exposes the PDP Rivers State as a bunch of confused people who are desperate to drag decent people to join them in the mud they have pulled themselves in. I have had a solid relationship with Gen Kenneth Minimah for fifteen years running and our relationship can only wax stronger.  PDP owes me an apology. I urge all members of society to ignore them as they do not deserve any attention.”