Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) in Enugu State, has condemned false reports that the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) sealed the country home of Senator Chukwuka Utazi, representing Enugu North Senatorial district.
Chief Festus Ogbonna, the Chairman of CUPP, who addressed newsmen in Nsukka, appealed to journalists to verify their facts before publication.
He also said that the intention of the publication was to tarnish the image of the senator.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), recalled that some sections of the media had alleged that ICPC sealed the country home of Utazi for diverting some constituency empowerment materials supplied to him by the Federal Government for distribution.
Ogbonna said that investigation by CUPP showed the report was false.
“The CUPP joins other residents of the state in condemning in its entirety the recent attempt to tarnish the image of Sen, Utazi, who has been giving his people effective representation.
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“Those behind that false publication that the country home of Utazi was sealed by ICPC for diverting some materials for empowerment in his senatorial district have evil intentions.
“It’s also unfortunate that some journalists that published that story did not care to call the senator or verify the authenticity of the information they received before rushing to publish,” he said.
Ogbonna said that when members of the CUPP visited Nkpologu, the country home of Utazi, in Uzowani Local Government Area of Enugu State, there was nothing like sealing of the compound by ICPC.
“According to the senator, some ICPC officials visited his country home in their normal routine checks on national assembly members, to inspect their constituency project empowerment materials.
“How will ordinary visit of ICPC be given another interpretation, that will tell you that those behind the publication on alleged sealing of Utazi’s country home are mischievous and the story has political undertone,” he said.
Ogbonna said that the senator had scheduled the distribution of the empowerment materials for August, during the vacation of National Assembly members. (NAN)