Presidency reveals latest on allegation of budget padding against Dogara
– The allegation of budget padding against Speaker Yakubu Dogara has continued to tear the House of Representatives apart
– But the presidency, which recently said the speaker would not be spared if found guilty of the allegation, has spoken up again concerning the issues raised by Jibrin
– The All Progressives Congress (APC) had earlier slammed Jibrin for going against an instruction to remain silent over the scandal
The presidency has said issues surrounding the allegation of budget padding against Speaker Yakubu Dogara are yet to be made available to it.
Jibrin is insisting that Dogara resigns from his post.
This is the reason why it has not acted on the in spite of calls from Nigerians that the speaker and others indicted by Abdulmumin Jibrin be investigated.
Jibrin had alleged, among others, that the speaker and some principal officers padded the 2016 budget to the tune of N40 billion. Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari withheld assent on the budget over alleged padding.
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He also said, days later, that Dogara was doling out money, in bribe to some members of the House to pass a vote of confidence on him in the face of the damning allegations.
The speaker recently met with the president behind closed-doors which was believed to have afforded him an opportunity to brief the president and defend himself.
Daily Trust reports that presidential spokesperson, Femi Adesina, insisted that the allegations had to do with the National Assembly and was yet to be referred to the executive arm of government.
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The report quoted him as saying: “It is a National Assembly matter, especially the House of Representatives. When it is sorted out there and referred to the presidency that is when the presidency can do anything about it.
“There is the principle of separation of power.”
But the various anti-graft agencies had received petitions from Jibrin and promised to look into his allegations. The All Progressives Congress had also warned the lawmaker to maintain some peace while the issues were being investigated.
However, Jibrin, a former chairman of the appropriations committee of the House of Representatives, resumed his attacks on Dogara, accusing him of going home with N25 million monthly, for which he never gave any account.
He also added that a five-man cabal consisting of two governors and three former House members was constituted by the speaker, to shield him against possible prosecution.
In reaction, the APC, through which Jibrin won the seat at the National Assembly, “It is now obvious how disrespectful, mannerless and desperate Hon Jibrin could be even to the leaders of our party which include the deputy national chairman (north), national secretary, national treasurer and others who have been sleeplessly working to ensure that peace returns to the House.
“But if Hon Jibrin does not have respect for Speaker Dogara as a person, it is expected of him to respect the office of the speaker, the number four citizen of our party and the country.”
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