Dogara, Lasun padded 2016 budget with N284 bn, says Jibrin

From Kemi Yesufu, Abuja

THE last has definitely not been heard on the sleazy House of Reps deal as revelations by ousted chairman of the House of Representatives Com­mittee on Appropriations, Abdulmumin Jibrin con­tinued yesterday with allegation that Speaker Yakubu Dogara and his deputy, Yusuff Lasun pad­ded the 2016 budget with N284 billion.

Jibrin in a statement issued in Abuja said the Speaker, his deputy, the Majority Whip, Alhassan Doguwa and the Minority Leader, Leo Ogor illegally padded the budget us­ing 10 of the 96 Standing Committees.

He also explained that the four principal officers illegally inserted 2,000 projects to account for billions inserted into the budget.

“When the Appropria­tion committee received all the budget reports from standing commit­tees, an analysis was con­ducted. We discovered that about 10 only out of the 96 Standing Com­mittees of the House introduced about 2,000 (two thousand) projects without the knowledge of their committee mem­bers”, the statement read.

“When the budget har­monization committee headed by Deputy Speak­er Yusuff Lasun gave out 80 per cent concession across board to the ex­ecutive demands during the harmonization ne­gotiation, it was agreed that the remaining 20 per cent should go to the entire NASS. The Deputy Speaker excused himself that he wanted to go and consult with Mr Speaker. He came back after few hours, and in an unprec­edented display of greed presented to me a hand written note distributing the remaining 20 per cent to only principal officers. Seventy percent of the 20 per cent was reserved for Mr Speaker and himself while the remaining 30 per cent of the 20 per cent goes to other principal of­ficers. I am sure he will recognize the hand writ­ing when he sees it. My colleagues didn’t know all of these,” he added.

Jibrin who stated that but for his persistent re­fusal, the Speaker in con­nivance with a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stalwarts wanted to insert another N20 billion into the budget.

“Mr Speaker also di­rected me to create what I advised him will be a controversial line item under service wide vote to introduce about N20 billion project using the name of NASS. He di­rected me to see a highly placed PDP politician which I did and collected the documents. I advised him repeatedly against it but he kept pressuring me until I bluntly told him I will not,” he stated.