Onyeama did not refuse to appear before Reps, says foreign ministry

Ministry of Foreign Affairs has dismissed allegations that its minister, Geoffrey Onyeama refused to appear before the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Spokesperson for the ministry, Mr. Ferdinard Nwonye, made this known in a statement in Abuja.

According to him, far from the allegation making the rounds, the minister holds the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila and the National Assembly in the highest esteem and will not snub it for any reason.

The ministry said it is not true that the minister refused to appear before the House plenary and the House Committee on Foreign Affairs to brief them on his efforts to address the plight of Nigerians in South Africa.

”The ministry wishes to inform the public that there is no iota of truth whatsoever in such a charge,” it said in the statement.

Nwonye said that the truth of the matter is that by a letter dated September 9, by the chief of staff to the speaker, the minister was invited to a meeting.

He said that the meeting with the leadership of the House of Representatives was scheduled to hold on September 11, at 11.00am in the speaker’s office.

Nwonye added that the office of the minister, however, wrote to the speaker’s chief of staff, informing him that Onyeama would be attending the weekly meeting of the Federal Executive Council at that time and that he looks forward to a meeting at a time to be mutually agreed on.

According to Nwonye, the minister and the ministry respect the institution of the National Assembly. (NAN)