Jabrin Rejects The Motion Moved By The House Of Reps MembersOver Alleged Budget Padding.

Dogara  And Jibrin

The former chairman of the appropriation Committee in the House of Representative, Abdulmumin Jibrin, is giving a condition that must be met for him to appear before the Ethics Committee to defend allegations of budget padding he made against principal officers of the House.

After the House referred Honourable Jibrin to the committee for investigation on Wednesday, following deliberations on a motion on the issue, the lawmaker in a statement said he would only obey the decision of the House “if the hearing will be public”.

Members of the House of Representatives unanimously agreed to refer Honourable Jibrin to the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges over what a lawmaker said was a “campaign of calumny and denigration”.

In his the statement Honourable Jibrin said: “I attended the sitting of the House today and carefully observed the proceedings concerning the allegations of budget fraud and corruption I levelled against Speaker Dogara and three other Principal Officers.

“But rather than open up the matter for discussion in view of the public interest it has generated and allow me to brief my colleagues, an opportunity I have been denied for several months, Mr Speaker deployed some legislative tricks and theatrics to save the day”.
‘End Of Another Beginning’

Jibrin claimed that the move was an abuse of process and explained that “Speaker Dogara granted under point of order, an opportunity to the Chairman of Business and Rules Committee who started with a speech then suddenly transited to a motion under privilege – a clear case of manipulation and gross abuse of the House rule”.

“This is the easiest resort since the attempts to secure a vote of confidence had woefully failed.
“The motion was therefore passed and referred to the Committee on Ethics and Privilege with one week to submit its report.

“The grand plan is to dilute the ongoing external investigation by the police and EFCC and use the Ethics Committee for a soft landing.

“But what happened on the floor of the House today is just the end of another beginning.
“I have never lived with the illusion that this matter will be a sprint, knowing the deeply rooted corrupt interest of a few cabal in the House headed by Speaker Dogara.

“I have all the stamina and agility to go the marathon and ensure justice is served.
“I have said repeatedly I stand by my allegations and will continue this struggle to expose the 2016 budget fraud and corruption in the House even if I am alone,” the statement read.