There were indications on Wednesday that members of the
House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts had come under intense
pressure to tread softly on their ongoing investigation into the alleged financial excesses of the Minister
of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.
It was also learnt in Abuja that Alison-Madueke chartered a
third jet for her use, besides the two already in the records of the committee.
The Solomon Olamilekan-led committee is investigating the
expenditure of N10bn on a Challenger 850 chartered and maintained for the
minister’s use.
The PUNCH had reported exclusively on Wednesday that the
committee was holding preliminary meetings on the investigation when it
stumbled on fresh information that Alison-Madueke also chartered a second jet
for her trips.
A source disclosed that a return trip on the Global Express
XRS to London for example, gulped €600,000 or N137m.
However, a lawmaker told our correspondent that since the
House passed the resolution last week to
probe the allegations against the minister, “forces within Nigeria,
especially outside the National Assembly,”
had been calling some of the committee
members relentlessly.
He said, “At a point on Tuesday, the pressure became
unbearable. I think people are beginning to think that the House is embarking
on a witch-hunt. But that is not the idea.
“We are doing our constitutional duty to expose corruption
wherever it exists.
“If at the end of the day, the investigation proves that it
was justifiable for a minister to spend billions of naira to charter aircraft,
so be it.”
Efforts to get key members of the committee to comment
on the alleged pressure hit a
brick wall.
Olamilekan neither answered our correspondent’s calls nor
replied text messages on Wednesday.
When contacted, the
spokesman for the House, Mr. Zakari Mohammed, said it would be inappropriate for the House to
speak on a matter it had referred to its committee for investigation.
“The matter is before
the committee”, he said.
Findings by The PUNCH on Wednesday showed that the committee
was gathering information on the existence of a third jet chartered by the
minister for the same purposes as the first two.
A source close to the Public Accounts committee, who
confided in our correspondent,
said, “From available information,
“there are three aircraft the minister
charters for her trips within and outside the country. “What they were doing
was to alternate the planes,”
The source, who did not want his name in print, was however quick to add that the
committee’s assignment was only to investigate and not to indict anybody.
“Well, the assignment before the committee is an
investigation. Nobody has been accused of any wrongdoing for now, but we have
to establish all these allegations,” he said.
The PUNCH learnt as of 4pm on Wednesday that the committee
was yet to decide on the date it would summon Alison-Madueke.
A meeting of the
committee, which reportedly started around 1pm, had still in progress as of 4pm.
Top on the agenda
were said to be the allegations against the minister.
Another source said,
“The members are meeting to discuss the methodology to adopt in the
investigation.
“An aviation consultant is assisting with additional
information.
“Essentially, the investigation is to establish whether the
minister did spend these huge funds on the jets.
“Who approved the funds? Was the money appropriated by the
National Assembly?
“What aspect of our laws allows a minister to fly in
chartered aircraft overseas for her private or official trips.
“These are the issues and all agencies or officials involved
will be invited to state their side of the case.”
PUNCH
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