Nigerians want Dogara to step down over budget padding allegations

Despite the decision of the House of Representatives to suspend Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin, a good number of Nigerians have stated that there is a need for the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara to step aside.

 

This they say, is to allow independent investigations into allegations that he and other principal officers of the House illegally inserted items into the 2016 Appropriation Bill to the tune of about N40 billion, as well as other allegations of corruption.

 

A former chairman of the House committee on Appropriation, Jibrin had brought the issue to the attention of Nigerians, when he revealed that Dogara and the three other principal officers had ‘padded’ the budget, and had also been illegally collecting billions of naira in the name of running costs.

 

The three others are the Deputy Speaker, Yusuff Lasun; Chief Whip, Alhassan; and the Minority Leader, Mr. Leo Ogor.

 

The Nigerians made their stand known in an online survey poll carried out by Ripples Nigeria on the question ‘Alleged ‘budget padding’: Should Speaker, House of Reps, Dogara, step down?’

 

According to the results, 67.3 per cent of Nigerians responded by clicking ‘yes’, asserting that Dogara should step aside. 28.3 percent of the respondents clicked on ‘No’, while 4.4 per cent were undecided.

 

Read also: Return stolen money or else…, Jibrin threatens colleagues

 

Even as Nigerians call for further probe of the allegations, the House on resumption of plenary had mandated its committee on Ethics to look into the matter, and report back to it.

 

The committee during its sitting, summoned Jibrin who refused to honour their invitation, probably fearing that the committee was being tele-guided to a pre-set decision.

 

The committee however reported back to the House, still presided over by the accused Dogara with a recommendation that Jibrin be suspended for 180 legislative days, which it adopted.

 

Jibrin has however vowed not to be cowed, asserting that he is not deterred by his suspension from the House.

 

He said he will fight on, and called on any Rep member who has illegally taken or stolen any money meant for the running cost of their offices to return same within one week or risk exposure and prosecution.

See chart representation of survey result below:

 

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