The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation has reportedly refused to hand over information pertaining to several transactions including private jet charter to the Public Accounts Committee of the House of Representatives. The PAC is investigating the use of public funds to bankroll the private travel of the minister which is said to run into billions of Naira.
Obviously peeved by the Reps investigation, the NNPC seems to have launched an investigation into the travel patterns of the Speaker of the House, Aminu Tambuwal.
According to sources who spoke to Punch, “One interesting aspect of the ongoing probe is that the NNPC is in possession of all the flight logs of the Speaker.
“You know for the past two years, the Speaker has not been flying Presidential jets because of fear. Since he started having problem with the Villa, the man has been flying private jets being funded by the National Assembly. Apart from the Speaker, some of the lawmakers have also flown private jets,” the source said.
Commenting on the development, the Speaker’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Imam Imam said, “This is not a personal issue between the Speaker and the minister.
“Does the Speaker run or operate any private jet? Or is the Speaker under any investigation over jets?
“A committee of the House is conducting an investigation and a minister is asked questions? Instead of the minister to answer the questions, she is talking about the Speaker.
“Is the Speaker the one under investigations or the minister?
“Let her go and answer her questions and leave the Speaker out it because there is nothing personal in this matter.”