Politics

Budget Padding: Go to court or shut up, groups tell Jibrin

Published

8 years ago

August 1, 2016

Jibril's Constituency joins fight, sues Dogara, House over suspension.

A Coalition of Media and Civil Society groups has called on Abdulmumin Jibrin and other aggrieved lawmakers to approach the law courts if they have evidence to back their allegations against the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara and three principal officers of the House of Representatives or shut up.

The coalition, the Africa Media Roundtable Initiative, in a statement by its Executive Director, Comrade Olabode Adeyemi, said Jibrin, the former Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations, should produce credible evidence against Dogara and the others he accused of involvement in padding the 2016 Budget.

The statement said: “Rather than taking the matter to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) or the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), he should allow the Judiciary to intervene in the matter.

Read also: Read SERAP’s letter, advice to Dogara on budget padding crisis

“We are calling on Hon Jibrin and other aggrieved lawmakers to seek redress in the court to protect the image of the House of Representatives and not going to either the EFCC or ICPC which are the agencies of the Executives. If you approach the Court you have to swear to an affidavit before making your allegations and if you lie under oath, you know the consequences under the law but you go to the ICPC or the EFCC to make such allegations, you may later make a U-turn and change you statements.

“I can remember vividly that when the 2016 budget was passed by the National Assembly, there were insinuations in some quarters that it was padded, but it was Hon Jibrin that defended it. He never spoke out against the House leaders until he was sacked from the plum job. If what he is saying is true, let him go to court to seek redress.

“We are thanking the Channels Television for repeatedly showing to the whole World the video clips of his defence. Now that there was nothing like budget padding, why is he now claiming that there was budget padding by the Speaker and 10 others? If he is sure of his allegations he should go to court or shut up.”

By Timothy Enietan-Matthews

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now