Probe Alison-Madueke, Others For Financial Recklessness, NLC Urges FG

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has asked the federal government to investigate the financial recklessness of the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, and other public office holders who use private jets.

* Alison-Madueke facing lawmakers' probe

The labour union made this declaration on Sunday through its president, Abdulwaheed Omar, while reacting to the decision of the House of Representatives to probe the oil minister over her preference for airplane charter, not minding the cost to taxpayers.

The House had last Thursday mandated its Public Account Committee to probe the allegation that the minister, over a two-year period, had squandered N10 billion of public funds on chartered jets for local and international trips for herself and family members.

Omar stated that he was alarmed at the level of waste by public office holders in Nigeria, particularly high profile public officers and their aides who prefer flying with hired private jets.

 

The NLC welcomed the decision by the House to probe the allegation, stressing 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.

“Indeed, what is further required is a holistic, transparent and result-driven probe of the entire financial recklessness of public resources on adventures that contribute nothing to the development of our country.

The lifestyles and greedy thirst of our public officers are completely deceptive and inconsistent with our collective reality as a country with a non-performing economy, high unemployment rate, mass poverty and near total infrastructural collapse.

“Refineries and other infrastructure under the supervision of the oil minister have totally collapsed; management of resources meant to uplift the industry has become the subject and source of several scandals in recent times, while the alleged disappearance of over $20 billion from the accounts of the NNPC is still the subject of probes by both arms of the National Assembly and the public is still groaning under the shortage or complete absence of petroleum products at pump stations.” the statement added.