Amid the ongoing Federal High Court subpoena sent to Former President Goodluck Jonathan to appear in the court to testify to the ongoing trial of Olisa Metuh, the Ex-President has asked the court to set aside the subpoena or alternatively order Metuh to deposit N1bn into his account.
This amount will cover the transport, security, welfare of him and his aides as the immediate past President of Nigeria.
An affidavit filed in support of the motion read in part, “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.
Among the grounds of the motion filed on Monday by Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) on behalf of Jonathan was that the evidence sought to be obtained from the Jonathan would amount to an invasion of his privacy, and family life as provided for in Section 37 of the Constitution.
“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.”
