by ‘Jola Sotubo

The suit brought against the House of Representatives by the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has been temporarily nipped in the bud after a court refused her prayer for an injunction against the House.

Mrs. Alison-Madueke had applied before a Federal High Court in Abuja for an interim injunction to stop the House Public Accounts Committee from inviting her before it over an ongoing probe

The minister is being probed after allegations that she spent N10 billion to charter private jets for personal use.

Daily Independent reports:

Rather than granting an injunction in her favour, Justice Ramat Muhammed had directed the House to appear before him on April 17, which had since lapsed to show cause why the interim orders being sought by the minister should not be granted.

The court had further directed that the National Assembly and the House of Representatives who are the first and second respondents respectively be served with the application for injunction.

Justice Muhammed also ordered that the respondents be served with the motion on notice attached to the ex-parte application for injunction.

The court further ordered that hearing notices be issued and served on the respondents.

Investigation by our correspondent showed that the ex-parte application for injunction was heard on April 14 while the case was adjourned then to April 17.

Alison-Madueke had through his lawyer, Etigwe Uwa (SAN), sought an order of interim injunction restraining the National Assembly and the House of Representatives and their committees from summoning her.

She also asked the court to restrain them from asking her to produce any papers, notes or other documents before them.

The minister further prayed the court to stop the National Assembly and the House in particular from issuing a warrant to compel her attendance before them with regard to the investigative public hearing on the lease of aircraft by her pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

In the alternative, she had prayed for an order of status quo directing the parties to maintain the current position as at the date of filing the suit.

However, none of these orders was granted.

The matter has been fixed for hearing today.

Daily Independent had reported that a warrant of arrest may be issued against Alison-Madueke, if she fails to appear before the House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts to answer to questions on N10 billion she allegedly used to charter private jets.

The House committee was expected to have begun sittings on Monday to probe the circumstances surrounding the N10 billion allegedly used by the minister to pay for chartered private jets for her use.

The minister was alleged to have used the chattered jets both for local and international flights.

Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) was said to have been mandated by the minister to pay for the chartered flights, an action that contravenes Fiscal Responsibility Act, sources said.

However, since the scandal broke out, the minister and the management of NNPC had refused to accede to the request by the House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts for submission of relevant documents on the transactions between the NNPC and the operators of the chartered flights.

But despite the refusal of the minister and the NNPC to respond to the demand, the Solomon Adeola-Olamilekan-led committee has expressed its readiness to proceed with the probe even if the minister and NNPC management opted to stay away.