We can summon Diezani, others 1,000 times – Reps

The House of Representatives said on Monday that there was no limit to the number of times the legislature could summon any minister of the Federation to appear before it and answer questions on issues bearing on accountability‎.

It said the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, “or any minister or official of government” could be summoned to answer questions “over 1,000 times” so long as the need arose.

The House was responding to comments made by President Goodluck Jonathan on Sunday night during a media chat, where he said that Alison-Madueke had appeared before the House for more than 200 times.

Jonathan also argued that certain probes by the House appeared to be politicised.

The President’s comments seemed to be a justification for the minister’s refusal to appear before the House Committee on Public Accounts probing the N10billion she reportedly spent in two years to charter a private jet, Challenger 850, for her trips.

 

But, responding on behalf of the House, the Chairman, Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Zakari Mohammed, said Sections 88/89 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) empowered the legislature to expose corruption.

 

He noted that in doing so, the House could summon any official or agency of government to appear before it on the subject matter under investigation.

 

Mohammed added, “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) is 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.”

 

On the allegation that the House conducted politicised probes, Mohammed described it as “unfortunate, particularly coming from Mr. President.”

 

He stated that, as a legislature, the least the House expected of Jonathan was to encourage his ministers to respond to “parliamentary inquiries.”