By Ehi Ekhator
The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Deziani Alison-Madueke has through the court, issued a restraining order, stopping House of Assembly from investigating an alleged N10 billion jet charter services scam.
House of Representatives spokesperson, Zakari Mohammed, and the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Adeola Olamilekan yesterday, said the House was still studying the order from the court while briefing journalists.
Olamilekan said, “we are still studying the order to know the next line of action to take on the issue”.
“Nigerians should also know that one of the primary responsibilities of lawmakers is to fight corruption and we are not deterred about this”.“Today the office of the Speaker was sent an order restraining us from continuing with the probe slated for today, Monday”.
The House also revealed that apart from the court order, the members of the committee on public accounts saddled to investigate Alision-Madueke were under attack to stop the probe.
Responding to whether the members of his committee were under threat, he said,”there was no time we were under any pressure to do anything”.
It was previously published by a section of the media two weeks ago that petroleum ministry were threatening members of the committee to back down.
Yesterday’s volte face by both Zakari and Olamilekan therefore rubbished the reports which sources said was sponsored by the Committee in the first place.
“We had a resolution of the House and referred this matter to the Public Accounts Committee. At no point or time has the leadership of the House expressed fears that they were under any pressure.
” This is not the first time we are going into this kind of process. It is usual when you are dealing with the high and mighty for people to presume that you will hit a brick wall, but we are very, very consistent.
“The only way you can stop us is through a process like the court case that we have expressed to you which we consider as a temporary setback. We will seek legal opinion and the House will be advised appropriately.
” This setback is painful though but we have to obey the laws of the land. There is nobody that is under pressure, all that was written was based on speculation, mind you, you were doing your job. For the court order, we do not know what will happen we are watching” Zakari said.
The Chairman of the Public Account Committee (PAC) said “I have not been under any pressure. I am as okay and ready to go and really prepared to deal with this”
Zakari who expressed frustration at the way things are going, said; “The paper we received is to tell us that they have proceeded to court, that the matter we want to investigate on; we have gone to court. If we decide to continue on the matter after the court paper, it becomes subjudice and contempt of court.
” It is programmed, it could have come last week but it came same day, today, Monday, when they were supposed to appear before the committee investigating the matter. This parliament is a creation of law and we cannot be seen to be flouting the law”
It could be recalled that PAC had directed the minister to appear before it yesterday, April 28 before the court papers, before the court order halt it yesterday.
N10bn jet scam: Court order House of Reps to stop Alision-Madueke Investigation
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