Leadership of the House of Representatives, yesterday, gave reasons why embattled Speaker Dimeji Bankole was yet to clarify allegation of corruption leveled against him by some of his colleagues.

House spokesman Hon. Eseme Eyiboh, said as at date, Hon. Bankole was yet to receive any communication either formally or informally from any quarter accusing him of corruption, adding that media reports on the issues were speculative.

“I have not seen any formal letter to the Speaker or any letter distributed as we normally do  in the chambers to members when there is an allegation against leadership of the House. Nobody has come out with any paper. What we have been seeing so far is cuttings from newspaper and flyers,” he explained.

Eyiboh said that he was only aware of the documents said to have been presented to the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Chief Mrs. Farida Waziri, by the leader of “Progressives” Hon. Dino Melaye, adding that he is not sure of the content of those documents given to the EFCC by the aggrieved lawmakers.

Speaking on the issue of awarding contracts in the National Assembly, the spokesman of the House said it is not part of the responsibility of the leadership of the House to participate in award of contracts as it is within the purview of the civil servant in the National Assembly to award contracts.

“It does not exist in my imagination that any member of the political leadership will become a member of tender board and to the best of my knowledge, tender board is something purely within bureaucracy and I will not be a very competent authority to comment on it,” he said.

Reacting on the letter written to the Clerk of the National Assembly by EFCC, Eyibo said he is not aware of any letter written to Clerk of National Assembly by the anti_graft body, adding that if there is any letter like that it is within the purview of the EFCC to investigate on any matter bordering on corruption.

He said the anti_graft agency has the right to investigate anybody because the body had done it in several places.

Answering question on why the House has refused to swear_in Hon. Emmanuel Obot despite the fact that the Independent National Electoral Commission has issued certificate of return to him, Eyibo said the House can never undermine the rule of law, adding that the House is ready to do anything within the confines of the law.

Obot had showed up in the House of Representatives with his certificate of return issued to him by INEC throughout last week following his victory at the election petition tribunal as well as the court of Appeal on the dispute over the poll in the constituency.

He was declared winner of thev Uyo federal constituency election by nullifying the election of Bassey Etim who has been occupying the seat since 2007.