Jet scandal: Judge denies issuing order barring Reps probe

A Federal High Court in Abuja has summoned the House of Representatives to explain how it came about the purported order which stopped it from going ahead with the probe of the Petroleum Minister, Mrs Diezanni Allison-Madueke, for allegedly spending 10 billion Naira for chartered aircraft.

An angry Justice Ahmed Ramat Mohammed said on Tuesday he was embarrassed when he woke to see a barrage of newspaper headlines claiming that he granted an order restraining the House of Representatives from probing the minister.

In Tuesday’s proceeding, ‎Justice Mohammed demanded an explanation from the lawyer to the Petroleum Minister and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mr Etigwe Uwah, for the source of the information that resulted into misinformation in the media.

According to him, the House ‎of Representatives should take the blame.

Uwah dissociated himself from the reports and told the judge that the House was the source of the information.

Uwah said he was equally shocked, as he received several calls and text messages, asking him for clarification on the purported court order.

The judge, therefore, summoned the House of Representatives to appear before it on May 5 with the court order issued by him restraining the House from carrying out the probe.

The House of Representatives is probing the Minister for allegedly spending 10 billion Naira in maintaining chartered aircraft in two years.