Former President Goodluck Jonathan has asked the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja presiding over the trial of Olisa Metuh, a former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party to set aside the subpoena ordering him to appear in court as a witness.
However, should it be deemed necessary for him to appear, Goodluck Jonathan is asking the court to order Metuh to deposit with the court for and on his behalf the sum of N1bn to cover travelling expenses for himself and his security personnel from his home town, Otuoke, in Bayelsa State, to Abuja.
Recall, that Justice Okon Abang following an application by Olisa Metuh had issued two separate subpoenas ordering Jonathan and the detained former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, to appear in court to testify as witnesses in case brought against Metuh by the EFCC for allegedly receiving N400m fraudulently from the NSA office and on charges involving cash transaction involving $2m.
Th motion filed by Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) on behalf of the former president amongst other things also further sought to distance the ex-president from Metuh
The motion reads “That he (Jonathan) as the then President of the Federal Republic (2010-2015), appointed ministers and different persons to carry out the day-to-day running of the government activities and such appointees are those who directly related with the President and not third parties, such as the 2nd respondent.
“That it is such appointees that can explain daily government’s transactions which they directly supervised and not the President who was the overall boss.
“That the 2nd respondent, Olisa Metuh, was never at any time a personal aide or appointee of the applicant.
“That he (Jonathan) knows nothing about the seven charges for which the 1st defendant/ 2nd respondent is standing trial before this court and has absolutely nothing to testify about before this court.
“The he, as a former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in the event that this honourable court refuses prayer one on the motion paper, shall require the sum of N1,000,000,000.00 (one billion naira) only, to cover travelling expenses for himself and his security personnel, from his home town Otuoke, in Bayelsa State, to Abuja, and also for logistics, and provision of tight security to cover any period of time that he might spend appearing before this court as President of Nigeria between 2010 and 2015.
“That Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, OFR, the lead counsel in this matter, informed me under the same circumstances stated in paragraph 4 above, and I verily believe him, that by virtue of the provisions of section 241(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, the applicant is not bound to attend to court except the 2nd respondent herein (Olisa Metuh), who applied for the issuance of subpoena ad testificandum on him, pays for his travelling expenses.”
