Gbajabiamila meets Buhari, disowns Reps member on stamp duties claim

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday met with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, at the State House, Abuja.

Gbajabiamila, who addressed State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, said he discussed issues of national interests, including the 2023 general elections, rising violence, and the controversies trailing recent policies of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) with the president.

He also spoke on the controversy generated by claims credited to a member of the House, Gudaji Kazaure, on the stamp duties funds.

Kazaure, who is representing Kazaure, Roni, Gwiwa, and Yankwashi Constituency of Jigawa State in the House, had in a viral video accused the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, of attempting to cover up facts surrounding the alleged collection of N89.1 trillion as stamp duties by the apex bank.

The lawmaker also alleged that he was being denied access to present the preliminary report of a committee set up by Buhari to look into the alleged stamp duty funds being withheld by the CBN.

The presidency had earlier this month dismissed the lawmaker’s claim as outrageous.

On Tuesday, the speaker insisted that the matter had nothing to do with the National Assembly.

READ ALSO: Presidency defends Emefiele on alleged N89.1tr stamp duty collection

He said: “Kazaure, from my understanding, is working with whoever he’s working with. If it necessitates the House coming in, we will come in.

“If he has an official function, he should go ahead and do his work. But this has nothing to do with National Assembly. Not that I know of.

“It was not based on a resolution of the National Assembly. It was not based on a motion from the National Assembly.

“I believe he said he had executive authority to do what he’s doing. If that be the case, then it’s got nothing to do with the National Assembly.”

Gbajabiamila noted that the House can only call Kazaure to order if he was impugning the integrity of the House, individuals, or leadership of the House that have nothing to do with what he was doing.

He added: “I think it’s important to separate the two. If he has the mandate to do something, that’s on him.

“When it came up, we asked members of the executive, and they said they were not aware of any mandate, or such mandate has been withdrawn.

“I don’t want to get into it, except to the extent that he attempts to impugn on the integrity of members of the House and that’s a no-no. We have nothing to do with this.”

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