BY OKEY NDIRIBE

THE National Sports Commission (NSC) has said it was ready for any probe by the National Assembly since the Commission had no skeleton in its cupboard.

This was disclosed in Abuja by the Chief Press Secretary at NSC, Tony Ohaeri in Abuja adding that it was within the powers of the lawmakers to interact with any official occupying public office under the laws of the country.

He further stated that the clarification was against the backdrop of the media hype of the possible invitation of the Director General of the NSC, Dr. Patrick Ekeji by the House Committee on Sports.

Patick Ekeji

Ohaeri said that contrary to insinuations that the DG was aversed to appearing before the House Committee, the former Green Eagles defender was indeed ready to appear before the House but wondered why the leadership of the Committee chose to go public with the possible invitation even when it was yet to officially invite him.

“Let me state categorically that the DG is not afraid of meeting with the House Committee but it was rather curious that the Committee chose to address the media in far away Morocco that it will summon the DG even when it was yet to notify him of the so-called petitions against him.

“We were surprised because the House Committee chose to go and first try the DG in the court of public opinion instead of first notifying him of the plan to invite him for any form if investigation and that is why we frowned at that approach because Dr. Ekeji is not a masquerade and also not above the law that the issue of the petitions against him was first dramatised” Ohaeri added.

The image maker of the NSC also told our correspondent in Abuja that he was surprised that the House Committee on Sports claimed to have received over 195 petitions against the DG.