Untiring Jibrin alleges Dogara, others collected N10bn as running costs

The ‘never say die’ Senator Abdulmumin Jibrin, has again alleged that Speaker Yakubu Dogara and all 10 principal officers have received about N10 billion as running costs from when they joined the National Assembly.

The former Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation, Jibrin stated this in a statement on Friday.

He claimed Dogara received N1.5 billion in sub-head allowances from when he was elected into the House in 2007, to date, while Deputy Speaker Yussuff Sulaimon Lasun has received N800 million.

Speaker Dogara was Chairman, Committee on House Services in the seventh assembly, while Lasun was Deputy Chairman, Committee on Water Resources.

Abdulmumin disclosed that the allowances, which he termed running costs, were collected by many members and used as personal funds.

He said, “No more, no less – case closed! Most of these members used it to acquire properties, cars and live a life of luxury they never lived before coming to the House. Though, there exist systems for retirement of such money but a simple investigation by a primary school pupil will reveal the massive fraud therein.”

He continued, that “Chief Whip Alhassan Ado Doguwa who has been in the House since 2003 has received N1.2 billion, while Deputy Chief Whip has received N700 million from 2011 to date.

“Minority Leader Leo Ogor has been in the House from 2007 to date. He has received N1.2 billion. Deputy Minority Leader Barde has been in the House from 2011 to date. He has received N700 million. Minority Whip Chuma has been in the House from 2007 to date. He had received N800 million. And finally, Deputy Minority Whip, Binta has been in the House from 2011 to date. She has received N700 million.

“So, in between these 10 principal officers, the country has pumped about N10 billion and still counting. As I have mentioned earlier, in most cases, with few exceptions, these funds are diverted for personal use. I will provide further break down of these figures in due course. I will also provide 50 additional names of members with worst cases of diversion of such funds in due course so we can name and shame them,” he said.

Read also: Twice bitten! Justice Abang rejects Jibrin’s case, again

According to the lawmaker, whose allegation of corruption in the House seems not to have received much attention as he may have expected in a government that claims to be fighting corruption, he added that the ‘running costs’ was outside of salaries of lawmakers.

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja and presided over by Justice Okon Abang, had on Thursday refused to hear the suit filed by Abdulmumin Jibrin to stop an alleged plan by the House to suspend him.

But inspite of the possibility of being sanctioned as soon as the House resumes, Jibrin has continued to churn out allegations of corruption involving some House of Representatives members beginning from the Speaker.
By Ebere Ndukwu …

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