Minister of Petroleum, Diezani’s N10BN on Chartered Jet Ignites Probe

Nigeria’s House of Representatives has mandated its Committee on Public Accounts to investigate the alleged wastage of funds by the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.

The minister was alleged to have spent N10 billion on the arbitrary charter and maintenance of a Challenger 850 airplane for unofficial use.

The resolution followed a motion by Rep. Samuel Adejare (APC- Lagos), which was unanimously adopted without debate when put to vote by the Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal.

The Speaker, however, disallowed debate on the matter saying that it was against the spirit of fair-hearing to debate when investigations were not concluded.

Adejare had said that reliable evidence available to him indicated that Alison-Madueke allegedly “sunk N3.120 billion” into the maintenance of the plane.

According to him, the minister used the plane as a private jet dedicated to the service of herself and her family.

He further alleged that the minister spent 500,000 Euros (N130 million) monthly to maintain the plane.

Adejare noted that in recent times, Nigerians experienced acute fuel shortage due to dwindling national revenue.

According to him, the development has “reduced the quality of governance and deprived the people of dividends of democracy”.

He said that he was not unaware that part of the money for the maintenance was spent on payment of allowances to the crew of the plane, hangar parking and rent, based on a lease agreement.

Adejare said he was “concerned that an official of government could be bankrolling this waste in the face of ever dwindling public resources.

He said the alleged action of the minister amounted “to a misplacement of priority, impudence and breach of public trust.”

According to him, the minister’s action contravenes the Fiscal Responsibility Act “and all other laws on fiscal discipline”.

Adejare cited Section 82 (2) (b) of the 1999 Constitution which empowers the National Assembly to expose corruption.

He added that the section also empowers, the National Assembly to expose inefficiency or waste in the execution or administration of laws within its legislative competence.

The same section, he added empowers it to check the disbursement or administration of funds appropriated by it.

The committee is to submit its finding to the House within three weeks.

The House in another motion called on the Inspector-General of Police (I-G) and the Chief of Army Staff to urgently send more armed men to the “troubled” areas of Kwande Local Government Area of Benue.

It also urged the National Security Adviser (NSA), to investigate the continuous armed attack by the nomadic herdsmen in Benue and Plateau.

The motion was brought by Rep. Benjamin Aboho (PDP-Benue) and referred to the Committee on Disaster Management, for more actions.

Additional from PM News