The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has released
a statement reacting to allegations of budget padding leveled against
him by dismissed chairman of the committee on Appropriations, Abdulmumin
Jibrin who was removed from office on Wednesday July 20th. Jibrin had
in a statement he released yesterday July 21st, alleged that himself and
Dogara and other leaders in the house began to have problems when he
refused their proposition to pad the 2016 budget.
He also alleged that he also fell out with Dogara and
others after he opposed the immunity bill for the leadership of the
National Assembly. A statement by the spokesperson for the house,
Abdulrazak Namdas, dismissed Jibrin’s claims and asked him to stop the
cheap blackmail. Read the full statement below
Our attention has been down to media statements made by the former
Chairman of House Appropriation Committee, Hon Abdulmumuni Jibrin
wherein he made wild allegations against the House of Representatives
and its leaders.
We wish to say that it is the prerogative of the Selection Committee of
the House to appoint and remove Committee Chairmen. That power has been
so exercised in the case of Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin as chairman of
Appropriation Committee.
Most of the allegations on the 2016 budget process and his opposition to
immunity of Presiding officers are non-issues and mere afterthought
manufactured simply because the House relieved him of his position.
If he had all these ‘facts’ before, why didn’t he make them public? Why
is he doing that now?
Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin, like any other member of the House knows that
there are conventions and precedents as it relates to budgets and
projects for principal officers of the National Assembly. Why is he
making it an issue now?
In any case, he is entitled to his opinion as a Nigerian and as a
legislator while acting within the laws of Nigeria and rules of the
House.
We must make it abundantly clear that he was not removed because of his
support or otherwise on immunity bill. After all he is not the only one
who opposed the bill.
The bill is still pending before committee on review of constitution and
it has to be voted upon by each and every member of the House, get
Senate concurrence, endorsed by two-third of the 36 State Houses of
Assembly and be assented to by the President. It is a cheap blackmail on
the part of Hon. Jibrin to even insinuate that he was removed because
he opposed immunity bill.
He should not distract the House from giving legislative support on
important issues facing the government concerning the revival of the
economy, insecurity in the country, pursuit of anti-corruption measures,
poverty alleviation, infrastructural development etc.
The Nigerian people are simply not ready to waste their time on personal
issues and personal egos of our leaders. We should face the urgent
tasks before us for which we were elected.
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