N10b Jet Probe: We Are Exploring Other Legal Options- Tambuwal
Adetokunbo Fakeye
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt.Hon Aminu Tambuwal, according to Channels TV report has said that investigations into the N10 billion alleged bill on chartered jets by the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison- Madueke is not over yet despite the court action instituted against the House by the Minister.
Rt. Hon Tambuwal spoke at a plenary on Tuesday while ruling on a point of order brought on the floor by a member, Omosule Eniolorunda, who drew the attention of the House to the fact that the court ruling on the suit filed by Alison-Madueke and Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) was insufficient to stop the House from continuing with its probe on the minister.
He said the House has sought legal opinion on the next line of action to take and directed that the House Committee on Public Accounts maintain a stay of action on the investigation until that is received.
In the interim a Federal High Court in Abuja has summoned the House of Representatives to explain how it came about the purported order which stopped it from going ahead with the probe of the Petroleum Minister.
An angry Justice Ahmed Ramat Mohammed said on Tuesday he was embarrassed when he woke up to see a barrage of newspaper headlines claiming that he granted an order restraining the House of Representatives from probing the minister.
In Tuesday’s proceeding, Justice Mohammed demanded an explanation from the lawyer to the Petroleum Minister and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mr Etigwe Uwah, for the source of the information adding that the House of Representatives should take the blame.
Uwah dissociated himself from the reports and told the judge that the House was the source of the information.
He produced a statement allegedly issued by the Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Publicity, Mr Zakari Mohammed, purporting to show that the court had restrained the House from going ahead with the probe.
Uwah said he was equally shocked, as he received several calls and text messages asking him for clarification on the purported court order.
The judge, therefore, summoned the House of Representatives to appear before it on May 5 with the court order issued by him restraining the House from carrying out the probe.
The House of Representatives is probing the Minister for allegedly spending N10 billion in maintaining chartered aircraft in two years.
