A new report has emerged on how several billions of naira disappeared from House of Representatives illegally.
Yakubu Dogara
Abdulmumin Jibrin, the former Chairman of the House of
Representatives Committee on Appropriations, has alleged that the House
Speaker Yakubu Dogara; his deputy Lasun Suleiman Yusuf; House Leader
Femi Gbajabiamila, and other principal officers of the House received
illegal allowances totaling N10 billion. This latest allegation was
contained in a statement issued by Mr. Jibrin.
Explaining his decision to expose the House leadership, Jubrin said: "In
line with my resolve to continue to expose individual and systemic
corruption in the House of Representatives, I will today commence the
disclosure of what many Nigerians believe is almost impossible to reveal
or are not even aware of – the allowances of Members of the House."
Mr. Jibrin proceeded to challenge the House leadership to tell the
public exactly how much they have earned in allowances instead of
starting a drama. According to Mr. Jibrin, Mr. Dogara, who has been a
member of the House since 2007, received N1.5 billion in inappropriate
allowances.
Mr. Yusuf, the Deputy Speaker, a member of the House since 2001,
and Gbajabiamila, a member since 2003, have earned N800 million and N1.5
billion respectively in dubious allowances according to him.
Mr. Jirbin’s statement continued by saying: the Deputy House
Leader, Umar Buba Jubril, received N1.2 billion since 2003. The Chief
Whip Alhassan Ado Doguwa received N1.7 billion since 2007. The Deputy
Chief Whip, Pally Iriase is alleged to have illegally earned N700
million since 2011. Leo Ogor the Minority Leader got N1.2 billion since
2003.
The Deputy Minority Leader, Chukwuka Onyema, has pocketed N800
million; the Minority Whip Yakubu Umar Barde got N1. 2 billion; and the
Deputy Minority Whip, Binta Bello, is said to have received N700
million.
Mr. Jibrin admitted to earning N650 million in allowances but said he was not comfortable pocketing such.
Mr. Jibrin reiterated his willingness to testify against the
principal officers and to continue to cooperate with the anti-corruption
agencies. He said, "I have done my part and left the rest to the
anti-corruption agencies, the judiciary and Nigerians. After the
allowances issue, the next exposé will delve into investigative hearings
and oversight activities.
"My resolve to open up on the controversial allowances should
be instructive to all those who think I am only out to get Speaker
Dogara out of his seat.
"If that is my mission, I will definitely not go into the issue
of allowances, which is the only aspect that unites the entire House.
"I have said it repeatedly that this activism has been running
in my blood, and thankfully the fallout of the 2016 budget became the
trigger and provided me with the right avenue. I always take solace in
the fact that posterity will judge not only members of the House but our
leaders and Nigerians as a whole on how they support or oppose Speaker
Dogara and the other accused Principal Officers' avaricious move to hold
on to power in the face of these mounting accusations," Mr. Jibrin said.
The legislator added that if members of the House and the public
remain comfortable with Mr. Dogara in office, despite the allegations
against him and the other principal officers, then he is ready to
continue his crusade alone.
"The imperative of having a corrupt-free House of Representatives cannot be over-emphasized.
"It is only when the legislature comes with purity that
effective oversight will be carried out and investigative hearings to
expose fraud and corruption can be undertaken. When the House is
corrupt, it affects the whole country because the House of
Representatives is the largest representation of Nigerians.
"This must be the starting point of the fight against
corruption. I dare say the root of our economic, political and social
problems as a country lies in the House. No amount of economic strategy
will succeed in this country if we do not put hands together and
decisively deal with corruption in the House," he argued.
He explained that dealing with corruption in the House, especially
dubious allowances, will change the way elections are contested.
Candidates, he said, usually spend so much money, hoping to recoup such
from the huge allowances they will receive when elected into House.
"When you know that there is no such money in the House to be
shared, I am sure nobody will want to put in so much money just to win
an election to the House. The resultant effect will be that only people
who truly want to serve will vie for the office, and voters will be
obliged to vote according to the dictate of their conscience," Mr. Jibrin reasoned.
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