By Ameh Ejekwonyilo
Abuja
A Federal High Court in Abuja will today hear the suit instituted by the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke stopping the National Assembly from investigating her alleged squandering of N10 billion naira of taxpayers’ money on chartering private jets for her official and personal engagements.
At the last sitting of the matter, it was widely reported in the media that the court had granted a restraining order preventing the House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts from further probing the embattled Petroleum Minister, pending the determination of the suit.
The presiding judge, Justice Ahmed Mohammed who was angered by the purported media report of the restraining order, ordered the House of Representatives to appear before it today and clear the air on the controversial order.
You would recall that Justice Mohammed was visibly angry at media reports making the rounds that he granted a restraining order stopping the House’s Committee on Public Accounts from investigating the Petroleum Minister on the alleged N10 billion jet scandal.
“I was embarrassed by media reports that I granted a restraining order on House of Representatives’ Committee on Public Accounts from commencing probe of Diezani. I only ordered that the exparte motion be served on the house to show cause why the applicant’s (Diezani) order should not be granted.”
The minister and the NNPC, through their lawyer, Etigwe Uwah (SAN), filed the exparte application with which they sought an order of interim injunction restraining the respondents from, their agents or committee from summoning the applicants to appear before any committees, particularly the House of Reps Public Accounts Committee to produce any documents in respect of the issue, pending the determination of the motion on notice.
Ruling on the controversial court order, Justice Mohammed said: “As far as I am concerned as a judge, no such order was granted. I will no longer sit on this matter until the House appears and clears the air on the issue. This matter is hereby adjourned till 5th May, 2014 for mention and hearing”, Justice Mohammed said.
