N10bn chartered jets: House begins probe of petroleum minister, NNPC April 28

Posted by admin Latest Politics, Top Stories Saturday, April 12th, 2014

Barring any change in date, the House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts will on April 28 commence public investigation into an alleged use of N10 billion for chartering of private jets by the Petroleum Resources Minister, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.

The jet was allegedly chartered by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for the minister between 2011 and 2014. Alison -Madueke and the Group Managing Director of NNPC are expected to appear before the committee on the opening day of the probe.

The House led by Hon. Aminu Tambuwal had last month through a resolution mandated the Public Accounts Committee to conduct a public hearing on the chartered jet transactions within three weeks .

The motion that gave rise to the resolution was moved by Hon Babatunde Adejare who claimed that NNPC expended a whopping sum of N10 billion to hire and maintain chartered private jets for the private use of the petroleum minister over the years.

The Public Accounts Committee chaired by Hon Solomon Olamilekan (Lagos, APC) on March 26 queried and directed the minister, the NNPC and the operators of the chartered private jets to furnish it within one week in writing the details of the transaction to enable it to carry out its assignments.

However, the minister and NNPC are yet to respond to the queries. But the Committee reportedly met and resolved to commence public hearing on April 28 to meet the deadline set by the House.

Similarly, the Senate Committee on Petroleum (Downstream) has through a memo dated April 4 to the minister and NNPC demanded for the details of all expenditure on aircraft lease agreements.

The committee further demanded that the NNPC should furnish it with details of funds expended on aircraft purchases, hiring and maintenance in the last two years, as well as the contract paper in respect of leases or purchase of the aircraft.

A member of the committee told Sunday Sun in confidence in Abuja that the whole matter was becoming a national embarrassment since all those involved were not forthcoming with useful information for the committee to commence its assignment, but rather resorted to sponsoring propaganda and blackmail against the lawmakers for embarking on the probe.

He said: “We have scheduled a public hearing on the matter for April 28. I believe the committee will do all within its power as contained in the legislative right and privileged Acts to ensure justice.

“Don’t forget, we as elected or appointed officials of government are not above the law; so, we will go all out within the laid down laws to carry out our assignment as directed by the House.”
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