The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani
Alison-Madueke, yesterday, instituted a fresh legal action against the two
chambers of the National Assembly, challenging their powers to probe
allegations that she spent N10 billion on chartered private jets.The Minister
filed the suit on a day the House Committee on Public Accounts invited the her,
the Group Managing Director of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC,
Andrew Yakubu, and Federal Airports Authority, FAAN, to appear before it on
June 15 to explain their roles in the alleged N10 billion jet scam.Mrs Deziani
Alison-MaduekeOthers invited were the Managing Director, MD, of Pipeline and
Petroleum Products Marketing Company, PPPMC, Mr. Haruna Momoh, Vistajet
International Limited and other stakeholders.The suit.Specifically, the
Minister, in the suit prayed the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court to go
ahead and determine whether by virtue of the provisions of Sections 88, 89 and
214 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the legislature or any of its
committees are legally and constitutionally empowered and/or competent to
personally/physically probe or conduct investigation into allegations of fraud
or other criminal activities said to have occurred in agencies under the
supervision or control of the Ministry of Petroleum, when agencies exist that
are legally and constitutionally empowered to carry out or conduct such
investigations into alleged fraud or other criminal acts and prosecute
offenders on conclusion of their investigations.In the suit marked
FHC/ABJ/346/2014, Diezani and NNPC, through their lawyer Chief Mike
Ozekhome(SAN), insisted that the National Assembly lacked the constitutional
powers to summon or investigate allegations of fraud against the Minister of
Petroleum.Consequently, Ozekhome urged the court to issue an order restraining
the Assembly, whether by themselves, servants, staff, committees, privies,
proxies or any other persons howsoever called, from summoning the applicants or
any agencies under the applicants’ supervision or control, to appear before
them for the purpose of giving evidence and/or producing any papers, books,
records or other documents, which relate to the unpublished official records of
the applicants, without the consent of President Goodluck Jonathan.Seek
restraining orderThe applicants further prayed the court to grant a perpetual
injunction restraining the legislative House, whether by themselves, servants,
staff, committees, privies, proxies or any other persons howsoever called, from
further conducting direct personal or physical probe, inquiry and/or
investigation into any alleged fraud, corruption or other criminal activities
in the agencies under the first applicant’s supervision or control.Letters to
Mark, TambuwalBesides, the Minister, through her lawyer, yesterday, wrote two
separate letters to the Senate President and Speaker of the House of
Representatives, David Mark and Aminu Tambuwal, respectively, urging them not
to take further steps on the probe as doing so would not only amount to
contempt of court, but also prejudicial to an earlier suit pending before the High
Court.The applicants argued that it was trite in law that once the pendency of
a matter has been brought to the attention of a party, steps should not and
ought not to be taken that will prejudice the outcome of the case or render
nugatory whatever judgment the court would eventually arrive at
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What? Nigeria
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ReplyDeleteIf this suit goes through then the National Assembly should delete oversight function as part of their duties
ReplyDeleteI said it that nothing will come out of this probe because Jonathan is involved. All the hornourables should be ready to collect bribe and forget probe. All these monies were stolen to fund Jonathan's reelection.
ReplyDeleteWhat a country.Nigeria is a joke where is check and balance in democracy system of government.
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