Private jet: Reps probe oil minister’s N10bn expenses

The House of Representatives on Thursday passed
a resolution to probe an alleged spending of N10bn
by the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs.
Diezani Alison-Madueke, to charter and maintain a
jet for her personal use.
The resolution indicated that the minister spent
500,000 Euros or N130m monthly to maintain the
aircraft in the last two years.
“Thus, in the last two years, the minister has
committed at least N3.120bn to maintaining the
private jet, which is used solely for her personal
needs and those of her immediate family, which is
an appalling act”, the sponsor of the motion, Mr.
Samuel Adejare, told the House.
He alleged that other “wasteful” costs associated
with the minister’s frequent trips with the jet were
“currently estimated at N10bn, which include
payment of allowances to the crew for trips,
hanger parking and rent based on the lease
agreement.”
The All Progressives Congress lawmaker from
Agege Federal Constituency in Lagos State, argued
that, at a time of dwindling resources, it was a
“breach of public trust” and “impudence” for a
government official to fly “all over the world,
obviously for leisure.”
Members endorsed the motion in a unanimous
voice vote and directed the Committee on Public
Accounts to conduct the investigation within three
weeks.
In another resolution, the House observed that the
Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas had not remitted
revenue to the Federation Account since 2004.
It resolved that its Committee on Gas Resources
should investigate the issue within three weeks as
well.
A member from Kano State, Mr. Aminu Suleiman,
had brought the matter before the House.
Part of Suleiman’s motion reads, “The House notes
that the NLNG Bonny, in flagrant disobedience and
breach of Section 162(1) of the 1999 Constitution
has not remitted funds accruing to it to the
Federation Account from 2004 till date.
“That the non- remittance of funds accruing to
NLNG Bonny from 2004 till date has adversely
affected the Federation Account to the detriment of
Federal, States and Local Governments.
“That the unpatriotic actions of those in charge of
the NLNG Bonny from 2004 till date has resulted in
loss of huge revenue that ought to be shared to all
tiers of the government form the Federation
Account for both recurrent and capital
development.
“That, the non-remittance of funds that accrued to
NLNG Bonny to the Federation Account from
2004till date has badly affected all critical sectors
of the Nigerian economy and constitutes an
economic crime.”