NLC Backs Reps’ Probe Of Petroleum Minister

L-R: Chairman, Nigerian Economic Summit Group (Nesg), Mr Folusho Philips, Vice President Namadi Sambo, Director-General, Nesg, Mr Frank Nweke (Jnr.) and Supervisory Minister of National Planning, Amb. Bashir Yuguda, at the 20th Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja, recently. Photo: NAN

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has backed the move by some members of the House of Representatives to investigate the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke’s expenditures on hired private jets.

In a statement titled “Create Jobs; Stop the Private Jets Jamboree Now!,” issued yesterday,  President, Abdulwahed Omar, urged the lawmakers to probe the ostentatious spending of the state governors and other public office holders in the country.

According to him, the NLC is alarmed at the reported level of waste by public office holders in Nigeria, particularly high profile public officers such as state governors, ministers and even their aides in the use of hired private jets.

Omar said that the probe is timely as it is coming at a time that other public office holders, including state governors had also been alleged to have squandered as much as N130 million monthly to hire and maintain private jets.

He expressed concern that in a country in urgent need of development infrastructure that are capable of lifting up our local industries, create real employment, deliver quality social services; it is not only sad that our public officers are shamelessly enmeshed in financial recklessness, it is equally condemnable that so much public funds are being expended on acquisition and hiring of private jets even to destinations conveniently plied by commercial airlines.

The NLC noted that: “It is nauseating that the minister of petroleum resources, whose ministry supervises the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), which has become the most prominent in financial scandals involving public institutions in Nigeria, will chose to be flying in hired private jets while the petroleum industry is sliding in stinking rots.”