A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the House of Representatives to stop its proposed probe of the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), over a N10 billion allegedly spent on aircraft hire.
In a ruling by Justice Ahmed Mohammed on Thursday, the order was to subsist till July 3 when the substantive suit would be heard.
The order came ahead of the plan by the House Committee on Public Accounts to carry out the probe on June 25, 26 and 27, 2014.
The minister’s counsel led by Mr. Etigwe Uwa (SAN), had asked the court for a preservative order pending the hearing of the suit.
He therefore urged the court to make the order, claiming that a letter dated May 23, 2014, by the House Committee on Public Accounts, inviting his clients for the probe, constituted a disrespect for the court.
The House of Representatives had in March mandated its Committee on Public Accounts to investigate the alleged squandering of N10 billion over a two-year period on the arbitrary charter and maintenance of a Challenger 850 aircraft for unofficial use.
Support InfoStride News' Credible Journalism: Only credible journalism can guarantee a fair, accountable and transparent society, including democracy and government. It involves a lot of efforts and money. We need your support. Click here to Donate