Jibrin seeks suspension of running cost to colleagues

The embattled former Chairman of the House of Representatives committee on Appropriation, Dr Abdulmumini Jibrin, has urged the Finance Minister, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, to suspend the payment of running cost to his colleagues.

In a statement to The Guardian, he enjoined Nigerians, officials of ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) of government and the private sector, to shun invitations from the House Speaker, Yakubu Dogara.

He explained that he had forwarded a list of 50 members involved in running cost fraud to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

He urged the executive arm of government to stand up to possible blackmail from the House.

According to him: “Nigerians must be very vigilant because as an insider, I know how the House usually responds during periods like these. As you have started noticing, many investigative hearings and ad hoc committees are springing up like mushrooms.

“The investigative hearings are intended to blackmail the executive arm and coax them not to act on the allegations and the ad hoc committees are used to settle aggrieved members as it provides avenues to collect bribes. You will also notice irrational grandstanding over approval of the budget or correspondence from the president.

“All these are legislative antics employed to shield corrupt members. This is exactly what Dogara and his corrupt cabals are executing presently in the House. The EFCC and the police have severally been victims of this kind of evil tactics in the past.

“I have said repeatedly that the Senate and Executive arm of government can rely on doctrine of necessity to bypass the House in the face of such allegations of monumental corruption, which have been described as the biggest corruption scandal in the history of the parliaments around the world.”

Jibril urged the “Federal Government to make me face the harshest punishment prescribed by our laws, if my allegations are found to be false.”

Continuing, the lawmaker who represents Kiri/Bebeji Federal constituency of Kano noted: “After about 10 weeks since I commenced exposing corruption in the House of Representatives, Speaker Dogara and other accused persons are yet to respond to the dozens of allegations bordering on budget fraud, abuse of office and public trust and corruption.”

He added that this is in addition to his revelation that there exists chronic, deep-rooted, monumental and systemic corruption in the House.

He explained that the reason the running cost should be suspended included the fact that, as an insider, he knows that such money had been diverted to private pockets.

According to him, there is no law in the country that protects corruption and that the continuous payment of such money negates the spirit of a genuine intention to establish laws to fight graft.

Emphasising why the public should shun invitations by the House, he asked: “Why did you think the House could not do anything to the former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Allison-Madueke towards the end of the 7th Assembly when she shunned and dared it?”

According to the embattled lawmaker, “The first batch includes Speaker Yakubu Dogara, Deputy Speaker Yusuf Lasun, Whip Alhassan Doguwa, Minority Leader Leo Ogor. Others include, Herma Hembe, Jagaba Adams, Timothy Golu, Yunusa Ahmad Abubakar, Mukaila Olayiwola Kazzim, Lynda Chuba Ikpeazu, Abdulrazak Namdas and Osai Nicolas Osai.