By Sadiq Umar – The crisis in the House of Representatives has assumed a new dimension with a group known as the “Transparency Group”, demanding a probe of Speaker Yakubu Dogara, and others by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged padding of the 2016 budget.
Even as the sacked Chairman of Apprpriation Committee, Abdulmumin Jibrin, again slammed another allegation against the Speaker, accusing him of diverting a federal government project to his farm in Nasarawa.
Mr.Jibrin (APC Kano) had earlier raised strong allegations of corruption against Mr. Dogara, Deputy Speaker Yusuf Lasun, Majority Whip, Ado Dokuwa and Minority Leader, Leo Ogor, accusing them of perverting the 2016 budget process for personal gains.
Spokesman of “Transparency Group”, Mohammed Soba (APC Kaduna), while briefing journalists in Abuja, Thursday said over 113 lawmakers’ members of the new group are asking for independent inquiry into the allegations and counter-allegations between Mr. Jibrin and Mr. Dogara-led accused principal officers of the House.
“We call for an external investigation into the matter, to enable us know if our principal officers are guilty or not.
“For this group, we say the budget was padded and as such, the budget being a document that belongs to all Nigerians, it is no longer an internal affair,” Mr. Sabo said.
The Group said Mr. Dogara and other principal officers accused of involving in budget padding scam, and the former Chairman, House Committee on Appropriations, be investigated by relevant “external” government agencies.
Mr. Soba said that about 113 signatures had been collected from lawmakers from the six geopolitical zones and across party lines before Sallah break to demand explanation from the Speaker.
He said the allegations made should be answered to by the accused individual rather than making it look like a House problem.
“Those mentioned by Hon. Jibrin should answer individually to the allegations, he said, wondering why the House’ Committee Chairman on Media, Abdulrazak Namdas should be answering for them as if it was a collective allegation against the House.
“We urge the leadership of the House of Representatives to stop presenting the 2016 budget padding allegations as the problem of the entire house.
“Let those at the centre of the controversy answer to all the allegations made against them individually and collectively in line with legal practice and our criminal justice system,” Mr. Soba added.
Mr. Dogara had on Wednesday, given him seven days to apologise for the allegations or face a lawsuit, but the legislator vowed not apologise, dismissing the Speaker instead as a “shameless fraud”.
Meanwhile, Mr. Jibrin has again slammed anther allegation against the Speaker, accusing him of diverting a federal government project to his farm in Nasarawa.
Allegation no21 to MrSpeaker:why did you fraudulently divert a Fed Govt water project to your farm in Nasarawa&how are you funding the farm?,” Mr. Jibrin stated in his twitter handle (@AbdulAbmJ) July 28, 2016.
Raising the hard questions for Mr. Dogara, the former Appropriation Committee Chairman wrote: “Good morning fellow Nigerians. Every day, I will give additional allegation against Mr Speaker and the three others until the law catches up with them,” he said.
“Allegation No 21 to Mr Speaker: Why did you fraudulently divert a federal government water project to your farm in Nasarawa and how are you funding the farm?
“When a new speaker emerges and the other principal officers replaced, I will write to the presiding officers of both chambers to commence a radical internal reform in the entire National Assembly beyond budget to cover performance assessment, running cost and allowances, investigations etc
“If the reform so done on the National Assembly is not made public latest by December, I will shall take it up and lay before the general public even if I am alone.
“The idea is to do a clean up, flush out corruption and corrupt members so that in 2019 only corrupt-free people who want to serve will come in.”
“God Almighty knows Iam not perfect but as I approach 40 years in September, I have always wondered what is it that I can live and die for…
“On one hand, I settled for aggressive rural agriculture with emphasis on migrating our farmers from subsistence to commercial farming.
“I woke up mid night yesterday to pray and SUDDENLY realized I have become AN ACCIDENTAL ACTIVIST. This is noble and there is NO GOING BACK!
“I am a product of the establishment but something in me has never been comfortable. I am so glad that by September 9th my 40th birthday.
“Everybody would have known where I stand for the rest of my life; rural agriculture and fight against corruption especially in the NASS.
“For those who keep saying why now should realize that for every situation like this to occur, there must be a trigger however it looks!,” Mr. Jibrin stated in his twitter handle.
