Former Chairman of the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee, Abdulmumin Jibrin, has made true his threat to submit more documents to back his allegation of budget padding against some members of the House.
Representative Jibrin on Monday submitted a petition at four federal government agencies against the Speaker of the House, Yakubu Dogara and 11 others.
The petition was submitted at the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Department of Security Services (DSS) and the Police headquarters all in Abuja.
Speaking with journalists shortly after submitting his petition at the ICPC, Representative Jibrin said that if the accused could be prosecuted, found guilty and sent to jail, it would send out a powerful signal of President Muhammadu Buhari’s war against corruption.
He posted earlier on Monday via his Twitter account; “My lawyers have confirmed my appointments for today with security and anti-corruption agencies to personally provide insight on my petition.
“We will be at the ICPC 10am, DSS 12noon, EFCC 2pm and Police HQ 4pm. The law will surely catch up with the corrupt Speaker Dogara and others.”
Later on Monday afternoon, he tweeted:
What a day! Submitted petition against Corrupt Speaker Dogara and twelve others. Now it’s over to the security and anti corruption agencies
— Abdulmumin Jibrin (@AbdulAbmJ) August 1, 2016
Going round ICPC, EFCC, DSS and NPF today, they clearly look already prepared for the cases. Iam confident they will be prompt and decisive
— Abdulmumin Jibrin (@AbdulAbmJ) August 1, 2016
Hon. Abdulmumuni Jibrin had accused the House principal officers, including the Speaker, Mr Yakubu Dogara, of having attempted to pad the 2016 budget with 40 billion Naira constituency projects.
Enough Documents
Mr Jibrin had appeared on a Channels Television programme, Sunday Politics, where he revealed that he had submitted enough documents to anti-graft agencies.
He said that some of the documents would nail some of his colleagues he had mentioned in the padding saga.
The lawmaker said that he called for the security of the appropriation office and his office at the National Assembly where more indicting documents are.
Officials of the Department of State Security Service (DSS) had on Saturday, sealed the Office of the House Committee on Appropriation.
This move by the DSS is believed to prevent any attempt to tamper with documents in the office of the Appropriation Committee.
Jibrin expressed readiness to help fight corruption in the National Assembly.
New Name
Another member of the House of Reps, Hon Uzoma Abonta, had also appeared on the same edition of the Channels TV programme with claims that there was no case of budget padding or corruption in the House as he dismissed Jibrin’s claims.
Honorable Abonta said that the allegations were false and a plot to tarnish the image of the lawmakers and the leadership of the lower legislative house in particular.
He went on to accuse the former committee chairman of being culpable in the scandal.
Jibrin has since added the Rep’s name to his list of lawmakers allegedly indicted by his evidences.
“I added one new name to my petition, Hon Abonta Abonta. The member who spoke after me on Channels and denied corruption exists in the House,” he tweeted.
