A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has restrained the House of Representatives from going ahead with the planned investigation into the alleged squandering of a whopping N10 billion on chartered jets by the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.
Sequel to revelation that the Petroleum Minister spent over N10 billion in two years to charter private jets, the House of Representatives mandated its Committee on Public Accounts to investigate the allegation.
The presiding Judge AR Mohammed, also restrained the House, its committees or agents from arresting the Respondents/Applicants- the Minister and Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) officials for failing to appear before the Public Accounts Committee set up to carry out the probe.
Justice Mohammed issued the order on April 14, 2014, directing further that the status quo be maintained pending determination of Motion on Notice.
The Respondents/Applicants- Mrs Alison-Madueke and the NNPC had filed a motion exparte dated and filed on the 11th day of April, 2014 praying the Honourable Court for:
“An Order of Interim Injunction restraining the Respondents whether by themselves, their members, committees or agents from summoning or directing the appearance of the Applicants before any committee particularly the Public Accounts Committee set up by the 2nd Respondent and or requesting the production by the Applicants of any papers, notes or other document before any such committee or the giving of any evidence by the relevant public officers of the Applicants before any such committee as set out in the letter by the 2nd Respondent dated 26 of March, 2014 pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.
“An Order of Interim Injunction restraining the Defendant Respondents from issuing a warrant to compel the attendance of the Applicants before the Respondents or the Public Accounts Committee set up by the 2nd Respondents with regard to the investigative public hearing on the lease of aircrafts by the 3rd Plaintiff pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice”.
Addressing newsmen on Monday, the Chairman of the committee on Media and Public Affairs, Zakari Mohmmed (APC-Kwara) expressed frustration over the court order but said the House would abide by it.
He said, “For us as legislators, our responsibility is to expose corruption but of course, this is another demonstration of part of the frustration we face as an arm of government.
“As a law abiding arm of government, we will tarry a while and of course take a legal opinion as far as issues are concerned,” he said.
According to him, the court order is a clear case of frustrating a matter under investigation.
“We are studying the papers, taking legal opinion and very shortly we will let you know our official position on this matter”.
Also speaking, the Chairman, Committee on Public Accounts, Solomon Adeola (APC-Lagos) also had this to say, “Today is April 28, the committee scheduled to receive the honourable Minister of Petroleum Resources and other agencies that have stake in this investigation.
“But as we speak, there is a court order, which has been served to the office of the speaker, even though the committee has not gotten the copy of that order.
“As you are all aware, we are law abiding citizens and a house that has respect for the rule of law, we have decided to hold on until further directive after wider consultation will be done.
“The nature of the court order is simple. They are just restraining us from carrying out our own investigation. I don’t know what they are afraid of that they have gone to court”.
