The House of Representatives on Wednesday called for the prosecution of persons who were indicted for looting the finances and property of the defunct Nigeria Airways.
It recalled that the Justice Obiora Nwazota Commission of Inquiry set up by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2002 had found that officials looted up to N60bn from the liquidated national carrier.
A member from Lagos State, Mr James Faleke, who moved a motion on the matter, stated that the commission’s report, approved as a White Paper by the Federal Government, had asked the Ministry of Finance to recover the money and the police to prosecute the indicted culprits.
Faleke, whose motion was unanimously adopted by the House, expressed surprise that till date, neither had the N60bn been recovered nor had any prosecution taken place.
He noted that in place of the recovery, the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari came to the aid of the airline’s retirees by releasing N22.6bn, begin 50 per cent part payment of the entitlements of the ex-workers.
“The House is dumbfounded that despite the release of the White Paper and the approval given to the paper as well as the directive to the Ministry of Finance and the police, the previous governments refused to prosecute the culprits,” Faleke added.
The House resolved to revisit the issue by investigating it, revealing the identities of the indicted persons and ensuring that they were prosecuted and made to refund the loot.
In a separate resolution following a motion moved by a member from Edo State, Mr Joseph Edionwele, the House directed its ad hoc committee to investigate the “increasing rate of adulterated petroleum products in Nigeria and its negative impacts.”
The House expressed concern that the adulteration of the products was causing serious hazards to human life, the environment and property.
The House also resolved to look into the recent alarm raised by the Nigeria Intelligence Agency that Chinese drugs made from human flesh were being smuggled and could find their way into Nigeria.
A member from Edo State, Mr Johnson Agbonayinma, reminded the House that the NIA had placed the Nigeria Customs Service, Standards Organisation Nigeria, and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control on alert over the development.
The House resolved to invite the agencies to appear for investigation and to speak on measures being taken on the development.
