Leadership / Nigeria: Majority leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, yesterday broke his silence over the budget padding scandal rocking the House.
Speaking for the first time since the ruckus began, following the removal of Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin as chairman of the appropriation committee of the House, he asserted that the appropriation processes for the annual budget in the National Assembly required a radical reform.
He also denied speculations that he orchestrated the alleged budget padding crisis currently rocking the House.
Gbajabiamila who had maintained silence over the allegations levelled against the leadership of the House by Jibrin, however, observed that all the accused persons in the budget padding scandal were innocent until proven guilty. He pleaded with members to allow the normal processes of the law to prevail.
“On the budget issue at hand, it is clear that our budget process needs radical reform and very quickly, too. Yes, allegations have been made but I strongly believe judgment should not be passed based on allegations. We operate a constitutional democracy and we must at all times submit to its dictates and ethos. All parties are innocent until otherwise proven. This should be our guide. I plead with all members; the mudslinging must stop,” he said.
In a statement he signed yesterday, Gbajabiamila, however, noted that the controversy over the 2016 appropriation Act was in the interest of the institution.
“Since the budget controversy that engulfed the House about a week ago, I have pointedly maintained a dignified silence. I did this for the sake of the institution I represent and which I have laboured hard to grow and protect, knowing that whatever I say could be impactful both within the House and outside it,” he said.
The House leader further explained that his role in the lower house was to harmonise the institution after the election of principal officers of the House which created factions among the lawmakers.
He added that he was determined to protect the integrity of the House so as to maintain the little confidence Nigerians have in the parliament.
Gbajabiamila decried speculations that he was behind the ongoing crisis in the House, saying, “I am being dragged into an arena I tried very hard to stay out of only for the good of the House.”
“The Speakership election has come and gone. The election was divisive and acrimonious but I have since worked hard to heal the wounds some of which still fester amongst members on both sides.
“It is my responsibility to bring all tendencies in a House I lead together and I have worked well with the Speaker and all other principal officers in a bipartisan manner and in the interest of the institution and the country,” he stated.
The House leader emphasised that, the text message, which desperately seeks to finger him in the budget padding crisis, was a plot to destabilise the House.
“Unfortunately, the controversy has now taken a different turn following the rather strange, if not comical, text (message) doing the rounds amongst members about my complicity in this rather sordid matter.
“The resurfacing or resurgence of the faceless text messengers will not help us as a House, and let me quickly add that it will fail. My strongest critics and biggest political adversaries in the House cannot deny the fact that my commitment has always been to strengthen the legislature and its processes and our democracy as a whole,” he noted.
Gbajabiamila urged lawmakers to work harmoniously in achieving a stronger legislature.
“I consider everyone a friend and colleague and urge that as we collectively work towards a stronger legislature and strive to deepen our democracy, we do not pull back the hands of the clock nor lose sight of the enormous responsibility placed upon us by providence as members of a critical arm of government.”
LEADERSHIP recalls that shortly after he was ousted as chairman of the appropriation committee of the House, Jibrin had accused the Speaker Yakubu Dogara; the deputy Speaker, Yussuf Lasun; House whip, Alhassan Doguwa, and the minority leader, Leo Ogor, of padding the 2016 budget with about N40 billion.
He alleged that the House leadership removed him from the committee over his refusal and inability to admit into the 2016 national budget the sum of about N30 billion at the behest of the above named principal officers and his refusal to cover up Dogora’s decision to distribute to himself and others N40 billion out of the N100 billion allocated to the entire National Assembly, in addition to wasteful projects of over N20 billion allocated to their various constituencies.
The principal officers had denied the accusations and dared Jibrin to approach the anti-graft agencies if he had proof.
Budget Padding: Jibrin Writes EFCC, ICPC, Police
Jibrin, yesterday submitted a petition against Dogara, three principal officers of the House and nine chairmen of different committees to the police and anti-graft agencies.
After personally submitting his petition at the headquarters of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), Jibrin told reporters that he hopes to see quick investigations into the matter so that the people he indicted can be jailed if found guilty.
He said: “I am here to submit a formal petition and give further clarifications and insights on allegations of corruption and abuse of trust and office by Mr Speaker, Yakubu Dogara; the deputy Speaker of House, Yussuf Lasun; the whip of the House, Alhassan Doguwa and the minority leader of the House, Leo Ogor, and nine other members of the House who are also chairmen of different other committees. We have submitted the petition.
“The chairman of the Commission received us in person and we exchanged a couple of ideas on how to move forward. I hope to see a very quick commencement of investigation so that these corrupt set of Nigerians can be prosecuted in earnest and, if found guilty, sent to jail immediately so that it will send a very powerful signal of the anti-corruption fight of this government.”
After dropping a petition at the ICPC office, Jibrin proceeded to the office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Nigeria Police headquarters, where he also dropped petitions against the lawmakers.
Jibrin had earlier said he was on a mission to expose the corrupt and sharp practices perpetrated during the process of budgeting.
