Reps Condemns Goodluck's Defence Of Diezani During Media Chat

 FEDERAL lawmakers in the House of Representatives on Monday described as unfortunate President Goodluck Jonathan’s comment on the credibility of the probes being conducted by the House during his Sunday’s media chat.

Stopping short of saying they were disappointed in the President, the legislators said Jonathan had been the “highest beneficiary” of the House resolutions, hence the least they expected from him was to encourage his ministers to respond to parliamentary inquiries.

The President had said during his Presidential Media Chat that the House was conducting politicised probes and that his petroleum resources minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, had appeared before the lawmakers up to 200 times.

The Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Zakari Mohammed, reacting to the President on Monday, said the comment was  “unfortunate, particularly coming from Mr. President.”

Mohammed said Jonathan did not consider the House intervention as politicised when he wanted to succeed his late boss, former President Umaru Yar’Adua.

He said, “We recall the Doctrine of Necessity; this House contributed to his (Jonathan’s) stability in office.


“We hold the office of Mr. President in high esteem, but it is unfortunate that he said we conduct politicised probes. The House is about accountability; Diezani has to appear before us because we cannot ask questions in her absence.


“She has to come; she has to be accountable to the Nigerian people.


“As legislators, we are also accountable to our electorate.”


He said the House could summon any member of the President’s cabinet, including Alison-Madueke, “1000 times” if the legislators needed to do so in the course of their investigation.


Mohammed said, “There is no limit to the number of times a minister can appear before the House for the purpose of accountability. There are many investigations or issues being considered by the House.


“That a minister had appeared before over a particular issue does not mean that when summoned over a different subject, the minister cannot appear again.


“Besides, on this issue of expenditure on jets, she (Diezani) has yet to appear before the House; she has not appeared on the matter before.


“Therefore, Mr. President should not use her previous appearances over entirely different subjects, as an excuse for her refusal to answer questions in respect of the expenditure on jets.”


Alison-Madueke has refused to appear before the House Committee on Public Accounts probing the N10bn she reportedly spent in two years to charter a private jet, Challenger 850, for her trips.