The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta has urged the House of Representatives to compel former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, to appear before it in respect of the OPL 245 Malabu oil deal.
The House had last week said Jonathan was vital to its probe of the controversial oil deal in which Nigeria was said to have lost billions of dollars.
MEND, in a statement by its spokesperson, Jomo Gbomo, on Monday said the role played by Jonathan in the deal had tainted the country’s image locally and internationally.
Noting that it had reasonable grounds to suspect that Jonathan might have compromised his former office as far as the Malabu oil deal was concerned, MEND said with key officials in his administration charged to court over the matter, the former president should also be made to state his own side of the story.
It said in the statement: “Former President Goodluck Jonathan is reported to have received the whooping sum of $200m as kickback from the controversial OPL 245 Malabu oil deal.
“We are compelled by natural justice, equity and good conscience to lend our voice against the most ignoble and despicable role played by the former President in the messy affair which has tainted the image of Nigeria both locally and internationally.
“Like millions of Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora, who have keenly followed the OPL 245 saga, we have reasonable grounds to suspect that former President Jonathan may have indeed compromised his high office with regard to the matter, more especially, given the fact that key officials of his administration, including the then Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke, have been indicted and charged before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
“We are, therefore, in full support of moves by the House of Representatives to summon the former President to appear before the House to give answers to the myriad of questions concerning his role in OPL 245. Where he refuses to honour the invitation, we urge the House to invoke its inherent powers to compel his appearance.”
Trending
- Traditional ruler shot dead inside palace
- Primate Ayodele to Yoruba Nation agitators: You can’t break Nigeria
- Police intercept bags of Indian Hemp at Lagos jetty
- Enugu, families to give Ibu, Junior Pope befitting burial
- Police arrest suspects for attempting to disrupt inauguration of commissioners
- Police rescue three children locked up by grandmother + Photo
- Police foil attack in Katsina, neutralise suspected bandit
- US vetoes Palestine’s request for full UN membership