Ebonyi Reps back Dogara over crisis

Some lawmakers from Ebonyi State have decried calls for the principal officers of the House of Reps to step aside over alleged budget padding scandal.

The lawmakers, Linus Okorie representing Ohaozara/Onicha/Ivo federal constituency, Anayo Edwin Nwonu representing Ezza North/Ishielu federal constituency and Laz Ogbee representing Ezza South/Ikwo federal constituency, in their separate statements, noted that any veiled attempt at leadership change in the House of Representatives will definitely fail because pro-democracy members will remain on a perpetual alert to defend what is just.

According to Okorie, this push for leadership change in the House will fail stressing that he has followed the drama and intrigues being played out by Jibrin Abdulmumin with keen interest and discovered that what the leadership of the House did was in line with the provision of the law.

“I have also looked at the gamut of documents and records and found nothing criminal or corrupt on the face of them to warrant the total dedication of media focus and the interest of the presidency and indeed the security agencies as has been exhibited in the past week.

“For God Sake, which court has ruled against the constitutional power of the NASS to ‘amend, reduce from or add to’ the estimates proposed by the executive?

“If Jibrin, or any group have any axe to grind with Yakubu Dogara and anyone else, it’s alright to do so personally but not to purposefully and contemptuously ridicule the institution of the legislature the way it’s being done at the moment in the hope of a forced leadership change arising from open blackmail and media trial.

“I am, therefore, much more enamored going forward to defend the constitution by insisting on the long established powers of the purse of the legislature unless and until the constitution is amended or upturned by the Supreme Court. And I will stand by the leadership of Dogara and his team in that regard.”