Politics

Jibrin breaks APC-induced silence, says Dogara seeking soft landing

Published

8 years ago

August 8, 2016

House of Representatives member, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin has again made further revelations and accusations against the Speaker of the House, Yakubu Dogara.

This is against an earlier directive by his party, the APC that both men should cease any public utterance over the issue of budget padding.

Jibrin had accused the Speaker, Dogara and three other principal officers of the House of allegedly padding the 2016 budget by over N40 billion.

Jibrin stated that he is being denied access to President Muhammadu Buhari by certain individuals sympathetic to Dogara, and who are seeking a soft landing for the Speaker.

The former Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation disclosed in a statement on Sunday that two state governors and three former members of the House of Representatives were blocking him from meeting the president. He however failed to name the governors and former Reps.

This, he said, is part of efforts at ensuring that Dogara gets a soft landing.

Jibrin said: “After three days of careful observation and receiving information from Nigerians, I discovered a grand plan by two governors and three former House members to provide a soft landing for Dogara and 12 others, give them time to clean up the mess on their desk, destroy whatever evidence in their possession and reach, spread money across members to buy signature of vote of confidence.”

The Kano lawmaker also said it was shocking that Dogara who earlier denied padding the budget, could turn around to say padding is not an offence.

Continuing, Jibrin said: “Let me make further revelations here. In addition to the allegations I already made, the anti-corruption agencies should ask Speaker Dogara why he collects N25m every month. They should also ask him to provide a proof of how he is funding his farm in Nasarawa State, which was just a few hectares six months ago and now miraculously expands to about 100 hectares with new buildings and state-of-the-art equipment worth millions of naira, as well as the mansion he has suddenly built in Wuse II within six months.

“I am left with no choice but to plead with all our former Heads of State; Gen. Yakubu Gowon; Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo; Alhaji Shehu Shagari; Chief Ernest Shonekan; Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar; and Dr Goodluck Jonathan, and the diplomatic community, particularly Ambassador of the United States of America, High Commissioner of the United Kingdom, and all well-meaning Nigerians to call on Speaker Dogara and three others to reconvene the House immediately, step down and allow a thorough external investigation.”

In a similar development, members of the Transparency Group in the House, said they will meet on Monday (today) to take another look at their strategies against the Speaker.

A member of the group, Baballe Bashir said: “We are meeting tomorrow (today); we will discuss and decide on our next line of action.

“We may want to petition Mr. President”, he disclosed.
By Timothy Enietan-Matthews

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