A Federal High Court, Lagos has cleared a legal hurdle that could impede the operations of the committees set up by the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, to carry out some reforms in the petroleum industry.

One of the committees is the Petroleum Revenue Task Force, headed by a former Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.

Justice Mojisola Ishola-Olatoregun on Tuesday struck out a suit challenging the propriety of the committees and the powers of the minister to set them up.

The PRTF   was constituted following widespread allegation of fraud  in the amount expended on fuel subsidy  in 2011.

The two other committees that their existence is being challenged are Governance Control Task Force, headed by Dotun Suleman; and  National Refineries Special Task Force, headed by Dr. Idika Kalu.

Gabriel Amalu, a Lagos-based lawyer, had  instituted the suit, contending that the the committees existence amounted to an unconstitutional delegation of the powers of the minister and those of the agencies and other parastatals in the ministry to “quasi-committees”

He had also asked the court to give an order restraining the operations of the committees.

Olatoregun-Ishola struck out the matter on Tuesday due to lack of diligent prosecution.

The striking out of the matter for lack of diligence was on the grounds that all the parties in the suit and their counsel were absent at  Tuesday’s proceedings.

The plaintiff had said Alison-Madueke set up the committees to deal with “fundamental issues” and to make “sweeping reforms” in the petroleum industry when those charged with the responsibilities are not public officers.

Joined as parties in the suit were the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Bello Adoke, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Alison-Madueke and heads of each of the committees.

The plaintiff had contended that the setting up of the committee infringed on the ministerial powers of Hononourable Minister of Petroleum Resources Provided by section 5(1) of the Constitution as amended and section 13 of the  Petroleum Act Cap P10 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

-Punch

Posted by admin on Jun 6 2012. Filed under Latest Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry