Okonjo-Iweala, Diezani, Sanusi shun N273bn SURE-P probe

Category: News Published on Wednesday, 23 January 2013 06:00

Absence of ministers and heads of government agencies yesterday stalled the House of Representatives public hearing on the implementation of Subsidy Reinvestment Programme (SURE-P).

The House of Representatives on November 15, 2012, mandated the committees on Petroleum Resources (Downstream ), Finance and States and Local Government to investigate the implementation of SURE-P.

Absent at the meeting were ministers of Petroleum, Diezani Alison- Madueke; Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; Labour, Emeka Wogu; Transport, Idris Abdullahi Umar; Niger Delta, Godsday Orubebe and Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu.

The Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Jonah Otunla and CBN governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, also failed to appear before the joint investigative committee yesterday.

Rep. Dakuku Peterside (PDP-Rivers), the chairman of the House Committee on Petroleum (Downstream), said that the committee was not happy with the development.

Peterside while cancelling the hearing, stated that aside SURE-P Chairman, Dr Christopher Kolade , all other invitees failed to either show up or notify the committee about their absent.

When contacted, spokesman for the petroleum ministry, Kingsley Agha, said he was not aware why the minister failed to honour the invitation, saying he was yet to fully resume to work from leave.