House of Reps suspends Jibrin for 180 legislative days

• I’ll not apologise, embattled lawmaker insists

The House of Representatives yesterday suspended former chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation, Dr. Abdulmumini Jibrin, for 180 legislative sitting days, which is one calendar year.

The decision, which got the endorsement of the lawmakers without a single dissenting voice, followed the adoption of the report of the Committee on Ethics and Privileges Committee, headed by Ossai Nicholas Ossai.

During proceedings on the issue presided over by Sulaimon Yusuff Lasun, Deputy Speaker, Jibrin and a few of his supporters like Ali Madaki, Muhammed Musa Soba, who are members of the transparency group in the House were absent.

The lawmakers, who hinted that the suspension order could be extended if they so wish, barred Jibrin from holding any position of responsibility in the House until the end of the Eighth Assembly in May 2019.

They also ordered Jibrin to tender a formal apology to them prior to his resumption for duties after serving out his punishment.

In his reaction, Jibrin insisted that he would not render any apology to the House.

Assuring that he would pursue his case in the law court, he remarked that his suspension from the House did not come to him as a surprise with Speaker Dogara presiding.

“As you are aware the matter is a subject of litigation, I have instructed my lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN) to file contempt charges against Speaker Dogara and of course the House of Representatives and I am sure the matter will be resolved in my favour.

Jibrin had accused Dogara, alongside Lassun, the chief whip, Ado Doguwa, Minority Leader, Leo Ogor and scores of other members of the House of several infractions, including the padding of the 2016 budget by N40 billion.