Let Diezani Alison-Madueke Appear Before Us—Reps To Jonathan

The House of Representatives has assured President Jonathan that it will not back down on its drive to hold public Ministers accountable to the Nigerian people, even if that Minister was a certain Alison-Madueke who is evading probes into her outlay on a Challenger Jet 850.
During a Presidential media chat last Sunday, a visibly irritated President Jonathan had said the House probes were becoming too “politicised” and added that his petroleum resources minister (Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke) had appeared before the House “more than 200 times”. Jonathan also famously said Nigerians were mistaking stealing for corruption and wondered what the hullabaloo regarding official theft was all about.
In a terse reaction, the Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Zakari Mohammed, described Mr Jonathan’s comments as “unfortunate, particularly coming from Mr. President.”
Mr Mohammed recalled that it was a parliamentary intervention that installed Jonathan as President at a time when a cabal working for late President Yar’adua held to the
coat-tails of power in an attempt to keep then Vice President Goodluck Jonathan from ascending the throne. Mr. Mohammed wondered if President Jonathan considered that “doctrine of necessity” politicised in hindsight.
“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,” said Mr. Mohammed.
The House spokesperson also said there was no limit to the number of times a public official could appear before parliament on an issue; while noting that the Petroleum Resources Minister was yet to appear before the House on the Challenger Jet saga.
“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”, said Mohammed.
“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 to the expenditure on jets.”
In the course of the Presidential media chat, President Jonathan had also said he wasn’t aware that Diezani had run to the courts to seek a restraining order from the House probe.
“I don’t think that the Minister of Petroleum Resources had gone to court. I am not aware that she has gone to court to stop any investigation”, President Jonathan had said.