By Ameh Ejekwonyilo
Abuja
Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) yesterday lost their bid to stop the National Assembly from investigating the alleged squandering of N10 billion on hiring of private jets for her official and private engagements at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
At the resumed hearing, counsel to the plaintiffs, Mrs. Alison-Madueke and the NNPC, Mr. Etigwe Uwah, prayed the court to issue an interim restraining order that would prevent the National Assembly from taking any further action regarding the probe pending the determination of the substantive suit before the court.
But the presiding Judge, Justice Ahmed Mohammed, adjourned the matter to June 19, 2014, for hearing of arguments the substantive suit.
He said: “As agreed by learned senior counsels, this matter is adjourned to 19 June, 2014 for the taking of arguments on the substantive suit. Meanwhile, counsels should respond to issues that they have to respond to in the matter.”
Earlier, counsel to the 2nd defendant (House of Representatives), Mr. A.B Mahmud, had apologised to the court on behalf of his client, following a court order that was made on the House to appear before the court.
He said: “My client misconstrued the Originating Summon to mean a restraining order. We do not intend to undermine the integrity of this honourable court, and we tender our unreserved apologies.”
Justice Mohammed accepted the apologies, but ordered the Reps to call a press conference to recant its earlier misrepresentation of the court’s proceedings that it had granted a restraining order.