Jibrin in trouble as Gbajabiamila, others join forces with Dogara

Majority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila has joined other principal officers of the House of Representatives, to describes allegation of budget padding by Abdulmumin Jibrin as baseless.

This is as the principal officers on Thursday, also justified the removal of the former Chairman of House Committee on Appropriation, Jibrin. They said his removal was done in the best interest of Nigeria.

This is contained in a statement signed by 10 lawmakers comprising Speaker Yakubu Dogara, Majority Leader Femi Gbajabiamila, Deputy Speaker Lasun Yusuf, House Whip Ado Doguwa, Deputy Chief Whip Pally Iriase, Deputy Majority Leader Buba Jibril and Minority Leader Leo Ogor.

Others are, Minority Whip Yakubu Barde, Deputy Minority Leader, Chukwuma Onyem and Fatima Maigari.

The 10 lawmakers said, “The decision to relieve the erstwhile Appropriation Chairman of his position was a collective decision of the leadership in response to unrelenting pressures from the overwhelming majority of Honourable Members who were irked by the former Chairman’s gross abuse of the budget process.”

The 10 House members also said that Mr Jibrin’s “allegations are wild, baseless and unfounded”.

The lawmakers said, “The Leadership of the House of Representatives wishes to reaffirm that it took collective action, in conjunction with the Senate and a team from the Executive, to rescue the 2016 Budget when it became obvious that the former appropriation chairman had placed both the document and the process in jeopardy resulting in a spate of agitations from Ministries, Departments and Agencies,” the lawmakers said.

Read also: Alleged Budget fraud: Justice Abang refuses to hear Jibrin’s suits

According to the lawmakers, the House will take careful measures in dealing with the attacks from Jibrin “upon the resumption of the House” in September.

Jibrin had alleged that Speaker Dogara and 12 engaged in padding the 2016 budget and other criminal offences. He had already reported them to law enforcement agencies for proper investigations into the matter.

This is coming when some Nigerians had alleged that Gbajabiamila, the House Majority Leader, who had said little concerning the House brouhaha, was with Jibrin and planning to take over from Dogara whom he contested the Speakership position with and lost to with eight votes.

By Ebere Ndukwu …

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