Politics
Padding: Jibrin says no going back even if whole House of Reps turn against him
After 10 principal officers of the House of Reps denounced Hon. Abdulmumin Jbrin fighting Speaker Yakubu Dogara and 10 others over budget padding, the lone-wolf anti-graft campaigner has vowed to keep the fire burning even if he has to go it alone.
“My resolve to champion this cause was borne out of patriotism and desire to complement the present administration’s anti-corruption war from the legislative front,” Jibrin told PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday.
“We shall go on and continue to expose corruption and corrupt persons in the House. I have said repeatedly that I will continue this struggle even if I’m alone,” Mr. Jibrin said.
Jibrin and Dogara used to be best of friends until July 20 when the Speaker announced the removal of Jibrin as the House appropriation committee chairman in a speech he read in plenary. He accused the Kano rep of budget fraud and serial betrayal of trust.
In response, Jibrin denied the allegations and launched a month-long campaign against Dogara and others, exposing how they allegedly padded N40 billion into the 2016 budget as constituency project fund.
ALSO SEE: “APC will sanction disrespectful Jibrin,” says party spokesperson
To establish his case against Dogara, his deputy Yusuff Lasun, Minority leader Leo Ogor, House Whip Alhassan Doguwa, and others, Jibrin first began a media blitz, then went to the EFCC, ICPC, and DSS with documents to support his claim.
The DSS has since then taken over the committee secretariat following Jibrin’s alert that Dogara wanted to tamper with data and information in the secretariat. The Speaker was forced to defend himself after Nigerians demanded an official response from him.
Although Dogara has denied everything, and has insisted padding the budget is no crime, Jibrin has decided to keep up the campaign until the presidency, which has been trying to be offish, gets involved.
“The truth remains that Speaker Dogara, Lasun, Doguwa, Ogor and others committed monumental fraud in the 2016 budget which can be prosecuted under our laws,” Jibrin said.
According to him, the honourables involved have completely lost the moral ground to continue in their various offices.
“I dare say corruption in the House of Representatives today is more than that of the Executive and Judiciary combined.”
The ruling APC have tried to gag Jibrin, saying it would treat the face-off as a party affair because blowing it into the open would embarrass the party again.