Former Chairman of the Appropriation Committee of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin, has revealed how the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, bribed nine members of the Committee with $20,000 each to lie against him.
Jibrin wondered how nine members of the Committee of 40 will come out to say he singled handedly worked on the 2016 budget.
He said all the accusations leveled against him are not in any way different from the bunch of lies contained in the “shameless” statement released by Dogara and the three other principal officers.
Jibrin said in a statement: “First, only nine out of the 40 appropriation committee members agreed to participate in such a dishonorable press conference after shamelessly collecting $20,000 each distributed to them two days ago at the Speaker’s residence by his Deputy Chief of staff Hon CID Maduabum. My same Deputy Hon Chris Azubogu (you will remember his history with Hon Hembe in the 7th Assembly) who was used to organize the press conference was clearly on camera almost crying at the press conference where I announced my resignation.
“It took a couple of minutes before I could calm him down, get him seated for me to commence the event. See attached documents showing his greedy demands for insertions 111 projects into the budget which I turned down. You can imagine the pressure I went through. The nine of them are a disgrace to their constituents.
“On the lies that I never conferred with committee members or excluded them, here is the fact. The members of appropriation committee were fully carried along except those periods that the Quartet of Speaker Dogara and others took away the entire secretariat from me. When the appropriation bill passes second reading and is referred to the appropriation committee, a meeting with standing committee chairmen, their deputies and principal officers is usually held to discuss the guidelines for the committee work. We held that meeting on Wednesday January 27th 2016 with Mr Speaker in attendance. (see attached for document showing agenda of meeting and guide lines provided to standing committees).
“The 40 members of the appropriation committee are grouped into sub-committees and allocated a number of standing committees to supervise. Their role is so important such that they must first agree with the report of the various standing committees they supervised before the report of such committees are considered, deliberated and adopted by the appropriation committee. The implication of that process is that every member participated and endorsed the reports. God so kind, the entire session was recorded publicly. I will release the videos so that my Hon colleagues and the general public will see videos of appropriation members in action. And the nine members of the appropriation committee with short memory will be reminded.
“No report of a standing committee of the house was received without the approval of members of appropriation committee.
“It is also a blatant lie that I disappeared. I was always at home since we were on a short break. Even more shocking is the fact that my Deputy Hon Chris Azubogu who was regularly at my home during that period can go on national TV for a price of $20,000 to tell such shameful lies. Well, CCTV don’t tell lies. The period that my colleagues didn’t see me was the two occasions that Speaker Dogara and the others took away my secretariat. At least, now you know that your budget was with Mr Speaker not me.”
Trending
- Tinubu appoints renowned banker Jim Ovia as Chair of NELFUND
- Yahaya Bello: EFCC boss Olukoyede to face criminal trial for contempt of court
- President Tinubu appoint CEOs for two agencies
- Breaking: Veteran Yoruba actor, Ogunjimi is dead
- EX-PRESIDENT BUHARI MOURNS DEMISE OF SIDI ALI, DR. BAFFA YO
- Japa Crises: 58,000 of 130,000 registered doctors renewed licence, says MDCN
- 34-Km Ikorodu-Itokin Road Reconstruction: Gov Sanwo-Olu, Senator Abiru Pay Thank You Visit To Works Minister, Umahi, Make Case For Road Dualisation
- Yahaya Bello: EFCC Chairman’s conduct suggest vendetta, not fight against corruption – Concerned APC chieftains