An adhoc committee of the House of Representatives investigating the OPL 245 Malabu oil deal has invited former President of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan to appear before it to give an account of his role in the deal.
The invitation comes barely 24 hours the Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Babatunde Fashola was also summoned.
The committee chairman, Razaq Atunwa at a briefing on Wednesday said that the former president was summoned in the interest of thoroughness, natural justice and fair play so that his own side of the story can be heard.
After the Ad-hoc Committee on OPL 245 met to consider the progress of the Committee’s work and the next steps to be taken, it was decided that extensive investigation into the OPL 245 saga has been conducted and probe is drawing to a close.
But the Committee is of the view that in the interest of thoroughness, natural justice and fair play, it imperative that evidence should be taken from former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Atunwa revealed that in arriving at this decision, the Committee took account of the facts that Jonathan was the President at the material time the Ministers brokered the deal that lead to the allegation of $1bn diversion of funds; his name features in the proceedings initiated by the Public Prosecutor of Milan in Italy; A U.K. Court Judgment in relation to an application to return part of the money being restrained, castigated the Jonathan Administration as not having acted in the best interest of Nigeria in relation to the ‘deal’; The Attorney-General of the Federation at the material time, Mohammed Bello Adoke, has recently instituted proceedings in court wherein he pleads that all his actions were as instructed by former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Accordingly, pursuant to the provisions of the Constitution, the Committee has decided to request that former President Goodluck Jonathan give evidence as to his role in the matter.
The Secretariat will write to him asking for his response and submissions.
