diezani-allison2 Deziani in fresh trouble

The Speaker, House of Represen­tatives, Hon.Aminu Tambuwal, yesterday ordered the Public Ac­counts Committee (PAC) to im­mediately commence an investigative hearing on the alleged N10billion jet chartering and maintenance by the Ni­gerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for the Minster of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Deziani Alison-Mad­ueke.

He said the House can no longer afford to delay the probe, insisting that the lower chamber must get to the root of the matter.

The House had on March 27 passed a resolution to investigate the alleged expen­diture of N10billion by Mrs. Alison-Ma­dueke to charter and maintain a jet for her personal use.

Sponsor of the motion, Mr. Samuel Ad­ejare, told the House that the minister alleg­edly maintained the aircraft for two years. He said: “In the last two years, the minis­ter has committed at least N3.120billion in maintaining the private jet, which was used solely for her personal needs and those of her immediate family, which is an appalling act”.

Adejare claimed that other “wasteful” costs associated with the minister’s alleged frequent trips with the jet were “currently estimated at N10billion, which include pay­ment of allowances to the crew for trips, hangar parking and rent based on the lease agreement.”

He said considering the nation’s dwin­dling resources, it was a “breach of public trust” and “impudence” for a government official to fly “all over the world, obviously for leisure.”

The probe was earlier slated for April 28, but failed to hold following claims that the minister had gone to court to stop the inves­tigation. But a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja and presided over by Justice Ahmed Mohammed, however, stated that it did not stop the investigation.

At the plenary yesterday, Tambuwal mandated the PAC to immediately begin the probe, saying that Nigerians are entitled to know the truth about the matter. “The judge said he didn’t stop the House from doing its work. I therefore, direct that you (PAC) continue with your investigation and pres­ent the report as soon as possible”, he said.

Some lawmakers had raised a Point of Order, saying the House has the constitu­tional responsibility to investigate the alle­gation that the minister allegedly spent N10 billion on a chartered private jet, Challenger 850in the last two years.

Members endorsed the motion unani­mously when the Speaker put the matter to question.