Fresh revelations indicated on Tuesday that Petroleum Minister, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, maintained a second private jet with Nigeria's money while the government says no money to create jobs for graduates.
The jet, a Global Express XRS plane, is chartered specifically for her private
and official trips overseas. And it has been revealed that: a return trip on the XRS plane is said
to cost Nigeria €600,000.
Please Note that this jet is different from the first one, a Challenger 850, which the House of Reps said has so far gulped N10bn in the last two years to fly the "super" minister.
“We have heard that the owners of the Jet have hurriedly left the country. The information is just reaching the Reps committee; but, we are still holding our preliminary meetings.”
Investigation by Punch showed that the
House Committee on Public Accounts stumbled on the second jet in the course of
the ongoing probe into the N10bn expenditure on Challenger 850.
Findings also showed that the owners of Challenger 850 have escaped from Nigeria shortly after the House of Reps ordered an investigation into the transaction between them and Alison-Madueke.
The aircraft owners reportedly became jittery after the committee declared its plan to summon them to assist in the investigation. Asked to comment on the issue, the Chairman of the committee, Mr Solomon Olamilekan, told Punch that he is “shocked by the latest information.”
Olamilekan, who indeed confirmed that the committee had uncovered a second jet, added that they are trying to establish how many trips it made outside the country.
“We are still holding our preliminary meetings. We have to put all the facts together and agree on the mode of the hearing first. The question on when to invite the minister will come after the meetings.”
However, a document obtained by Punch in Abuja on Tuesday, indicated that Alison-Madueke flew in Global Express XRS on two occasions in 2011. She chartered the same jet twice in 2013 on a return trip bill of €600,000 per trip with Nigeria's money.
Findings also showed that the owners of Challenger 850 have escaped from Nigeria shortly after the House of Reps ordered an investigation into the transaction between them and Alison-Madueke.
The aircraft owners reportedly became jittery after the committee declared its plan to summon them to assist in the investigation. Asked to comment on the issue, the Chairman of the committee, Mr Solomon Olamilekan, told Punch that he is “shocked by the latest information.”
Olamilekan, who indeed confirmed that the committee had uncovered a second jet, added that they are trying to establish how many trips it made outside the country.
“We are still holding our preliminary meetings. We have to put all the facts together and agree on the mode of the hearing first. The question on when to invite the minister will come after the meetings.”
However, a document obtained by Punch in Abuja on Tuesday, indicated that Alison-Madueke flew in Global Express XRS on two occasions in 2011. She chartered the same jet twice in 2013 on a return trip bill of €600,000 per trip with Nigeria's money.
Shocked by the latest discoveries, lawmakers are asking how a serving minister raised the money to charter jets for overseas trips at the expense of the Nigerian taxpayers.
Anyway, it was gathered that campaigns
have been launched by Allison-Madueke's agents online to attack and destroy the
investigation and, if possible, confuse President Goodluck Jonathan who is
loyal to the minister's family because he is married to their sister who has
his only two children. We are watching!
Gist Arena
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