Diezani, NNPC Drags National Assembly To Court

Following the 10 billion naira chartered jet saga between the National Assembly and the Petroleum minister Dieziani Alison-Madueke, the latter and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on Thursday, slammed the lawmakers with a law suit.   

* Dieziani Alison-Madueke

Alison-Madueke, who dragged the lawmakers to a Federal High Court in Abuja, over the private jet scandal said the national assembly has no power to summon or probe her.  

It would be recalled that the House Committee on Aviation is investigating the alleged 10 million naira used by the petroleum minister in hiring private jet for her official.    

Meanwhile, Alison-Madueke, in a fresh suit filed through her counsel, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), asked the court to stop the probe on the ground that the committee lacked the powers to probe her.

Joined as defendants in the matter were the Senate and the House of Representatives.

The minster in the suit requested the court to issue a restraining order to the respondents or any other interested persons from summoning her or any agency under her supervision or control to appear before them for the purpose of tendering evidence and/or bring any papers, books, records or other documents relating to the unpublished official records of the applicants without the consent of the resident of the Federal Republic of Nigeria first and obtained by the respondents or their committees.

No date has been fixed for hearing of the substantive case.

Meanwhile the House of Representatives, on Thursday, flaunted President Goodluck Jonathan's directives and summoned  the Petroleum Resources Minister, NNPC, Petroleum Products and Marketing Company (PPMC), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and some private.   

Source: Legit.ng