Alleged $1.1bn Malabu oil deal: Tension in Reps over Jonathan’s invitation

A major crisis is now looming in the House of Representatives following the invitation of the former President Goodluck Jonathan by the House ad-hoc Committee investigating the controversial sale of oil licence known as $1.1billion Malabu oil deal.

The Chairman of the ad-hoc Committee, Hon Razak Atunwa, had told news men in Abuja on Wednesday that the Committee had resolved to invite former President Jonathan to appear before it on a date to be made public to come and state his own roles in the Malabu oil deal since his name featured prominently in the course of the Committee’s investigation.

However, it was gathered that following this development the media was awash with the reports, which did not go down well with most of the lawmakers especially those from the Southern part of the country who viewed the invitation as parts of the plots to ridicule the former President.

Checks revealed in the National Assembly on Thursday that the invitation of the former president had polarised the House on the way and manner Dr Jonathan was being invited while two members from the South- South openly threatened to beat up Hon Atunwa over the invitation
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The division among the members of the House on the matter became open yesterday when the two members from Bayelsa and Rivers states apparently disturbed as the representatives of the former Number One citizen could not contain themselves any longer at the end of a public hearing sent a warning signal to Atunwa that he should be ready for a showdown any time.

Eyewitness account said one of the lawmakers from Bayelsa state confronted his colleagues, asking why on “earth should he summon a former president to testify, can such an invitation be extended to former President Olusegun Obasanjo?

But another lawmaker from South West countered him saying that “there’s a window to it, let’s see how it plays out.

According to our source, “While responding and shaking his head, the  Bayelsa state lawmaker said “I don’t think I can restrain myself from not beating him up which window are you talking about and where is it done that a former president is being ridiculed like this?”

According to our source, “All attempts to calm down the Bayelsa lawmaker were rebuffed as he called on his colleague the Rivers lawmaker, saying “please, let us leave this place and see what is happening in Plenary.”