Reps summon Adoke over Malabu oil deal, defer constitution amendment report consideration

The House of Representatives on Tuesday in Abuja deferred the consideration of the 1999 Constitution amendment report to Wednesday.
This resolution followed complaints by some members that they did not have copies of the report to be considered.
The ad hoc Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution presented its report to the House on July 4.
Earlier, the Speaker of the House, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, advised members to avoid propagating their own interest against that of their constituents while considering the report.
Tambuwal said: “My advice is that we proceed with the wishes of the people.
“When it is time to vote, we should not vote against the wishes of our people.
“We should proceed with the wishes of the people and not that of some political leaders in our constituencies.”
He said that some Nigerians had advocated subjecting the amended constitution to a referendum, whereas the constitution had clearly spelt out ways it could be amended.
Tambuwal added: “The constitution has prescribed the procedure for amendment and we cannot go outside it.
“The constitution does not prescribe a referendum.
“As issues are raised, we as members that facilitated the people’s public session, we have no power over the decision of the people.”
The speaker said that the amendment would strengthen the country’s nascent democracy.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has invited the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke to appear before the Justice Committee of the House.
The invitation was based on a letter allegedly written to a New York law firm by Adoke that the House had cleared him of the illegality involving the allocation of Oil Prospecting License 245.
The OPL 245 deal, popularly known as the Malabu oil deal, has turned into a major scandal, with allegations of money exchanging hands leveled against senior government officials, including Adoke and President Goodluck Jonathan.
The minister is expected to appear before the committee to explain the truth or otherwise of the allegation.