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Diezani Jet Scam: Reps Uncover Third Aircraft

Chairman, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Dr Sam Amadi (left), presenting an Embedded Generation License to Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State for Yankari Power Company Limited in Abuja, last Wednesday.
There are indications that members of the House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts had come under intense pressure to tread softly on their ongoing investigation into the alleged financial excesses of the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.
It was also learnt in Abuja that Alison-Madueke chartered a third jet for her use, besides the two already in the records of the committee.
The Solomon Olamilekan-led committee is investigating the expenditure of N10billion on a Challenger 850 chartered and maintained for the minister’s use.
It was reported on Wednesday that the committee was holding preliminary meetings on the investigation when it stumbled on fresh information that Alison-Madueke also chartered a second jet for her trips.
A source disclosed that a return trip on the Global Express XRS to London for example, gulped €600,000 or N137million.
However, a lawmaker told our correspondent that since the House passed the resolution last week to probe the allegations against the minister, “forces within Nigeria, especially outside the National Assembly,” had been calling some of the committee members relentlessly.
He said, “At a point on Tuesday, the pressure became unbearable. I think people are beginning to think that the House is embarking on a witch-hunt. But that is not the idea.
“We are doing our constitutional duty to expose corruption wherever it exists.
“If at the end of the day, the investigation proves that it was justifiable for a minister to spend billions of naira to charter aircraft, so be it.”
Efforts to get key members of the committee to comment on the alleged pressure hit a brick wall.
Olamilekan neither answered our correspondent’s calls nor replied text messages on Wednesday.
When contacted, the spokesman for the House, Mr. Zakari Mohammed, said it would be inappropriate for the House to speak on a matter it had referred to its committee for investigation.
“The matter is before the committee”, he said.
Findings by our source on Wednesday showed that the committee was gathering information on the existence of a third jet chartered by the minister for the same purposes as the first two.
A source close to the Public Accounts committee, who confided in our correspondent, said, “From available information, “there are three aircraft the minister charters for her trips within and outside the country. “What they were doing was to alternate the planes,”
The source, who did not want his name in print, was however quick to add that the committee’s assignment was only to investigate and not to indict anybody.
“Well, the assignment before the committee is an investigation. Nobody has been accused of any wrongdoing for now, but we have to establish all these allegations,” he said.
It was learnt as of 4pm on Wednesday that the committee was yet to decide on the date it would summon Alison-Madueke.
A meeting of the committee, which reportedly started around 1pm, had still in progress as of 4pm.
Top on the agenda were said to be the allegations against the minister.
Another source said, “The members are meeting to discuss the methodology to adopt in the investigation.
“An aviation consultant is assisting with additional information.
“Essentially, the investigation is to establish whether the minister did spend these huge funds on the jets.
“Who approved the funds? Was the money appropriated by the National Assembly?
“What aspect of our laws allows a minister to fly in chartered aircraft overseas for her private or official trips.
“These are the issues and all agencies or officials involved will be invited to state their side of the case.
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I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
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RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
News
Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.
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