By Emmanuel Aziken

Former member of the House of Representatives, Nze Chidi Duru has rebutted news reports that he is on the run from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC saying he has no reason for such.

Responding to news reports of the search for him on account of alleged share deals in the First Guarantee Pension Limited (FGPL), Duru, a two time member of the House of Representatives said the reports were aimed at setting him against the EFCC for no just cause.

He said:“For the avoidance of doubt, the report has no bearing or a true reflection of my person and my business interests anywhere. The point is that I am a victim of a wicked conspiracy of a failed attempt by persons who want to take over my business interest in First Guarantee Pension Limited (FGPL), by setting me on a collision course with EFCC.

“It is preposterous for anybody to allege that I violated the pension fund administrator licensing condition and the Code of Corporate governance by offering the shares of FGPL without a board resolution to Genoou Concept for an unsubstantiated transaction.

“One may ask “why unsubstantiated “ if the authors are real and sure of their facts, if not in a wicked attempt at  mischief and envious campaign to bring down a sound reputation built over time.

“It is therefore not surprising that this fellow will again resort to banding and circulating the same old untruth, as he did in 2011, just to satisfy his pay masters. We hope he will sooner realise that this current effort as in the past is an exercise in futility.”

Duru, a two-term member of the House of Representatives was a key facilitator of the country’s privatisation programme having been chairman of the House Committee on Privatisation at the onset of democratic rule from 1999 to 2003.