PDP Reps stop motion to probe Jonathan government

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucus in the House of Representatives yesterday frustrated a motion seeking to investigate the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan over alleged non-remittance of about $10 million into the Federation Account by some ministries, agencies and parastatals.

In the motion sponsored by Hon. Chike Okafor (APC, Imo), the lawmaker alleged that some Federal Government agencies under the Jonathan administration were involved in underhand dealings in tax remittance and unapproved spending of money meant for the Federation Account. Okafor was, however, cut half way into the motion by two PDP members who raised points of order to stop him.

Their arguments centred on the technical flaws in his motion as listed on the order paper Okafor in the motion drew the attention of the House to allegations that have been raised that the sum of $4 billion was paid as taxes and dividends by the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNGL) between 2009 and 2014

without the sum reflecting in the account of the government while Jonathan was president of the country. He also listed in the motion, allegations that the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) spent $3.8 billion in three years under the same administration without parliamentary appropriation.

Also, he noted that there are allegations that the sum of $2.1 billion was disbursed from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) without the approval of the National Economic Council (NEC) which are infractions. Okafor had barely finished reading the first paragraph of his motion when a member, Hon. Edward Pwajok (PDP, Plateau) shouted “Point of Order”, to draw the attention of the speaker. In accordance with the laid down rules of the House which prescribed that point of order must be taken at all times when raised, Speaker Yakubu Dogara yielded the floor to Pwajok to make his contribution while Okafor took his seat. Relying on several sections of the Constitution and the Establishing Act of the NEC, Pwajok faulted the basis of the motion moved by Okafor, as he insisted that there was no solid foundation to believe what Okafor was raising in his motion as there was nothing tangible before the House on such.

He sought the leave of the House to have the motion stopped from being read and debated on the floor of the parliament. His position was reechoed by the Minority Leader of the House, Leo Ogor, who was called to speak immediately after Pwajok by the speaker as he had also raised his voice in seeking permission to raise a point of order.

Ogor condemned the motion, arguing that the motion was defective on all sides. As debate on the motion was going on, some PDP members gathered and were discussing in groups even while the House was in session. This development compelled the Chief Whip, Hon. Ado Doguwa to draw the attention of the speaker and asked the PDP members to end the meeting.

The massive opposition from PDP members cowed Okafor to openly withdraw the motion when Speaker Dogara called on him to respond to the points raised by Pwajok and Ogor on his motion.