The ‘Transparency Group’ of the House of Representatives wants Speaker Dogara and others involved in the scandalous budget padding to face the music. The group has demanded an investigation into the matter by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). This was made known on Wednesday as by the “transpaent” lawmakers while briefing journalists in Abuja.
They want that Dogara and other principal officers involved in the budget padding fraud, and Abdulmumin Jibrin, former Chairman, House Committee on Appropriations, be investigated by relevant “external” government agencies. Jibrin had alleged that the 2016 budget was padded, using 10 of the 96 Standing Committees in the House.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Rep. Musa Soba (APC-Kaduna) disclosed that about 113 signatures had been collected from lawmakers across party lines. “We call for an external investigation into the matter, to enable us know if our principal officers are guilty or not.
“For this group, we say the budget was padded and as such, the budget being a document that belongs to all Nigerians, it is no longer an internal affair”, Sabo said.
He berated the speaker to stop trivialising Jibrin’s allegations; making it look like a problem of the house. He said that henceforth, the speaker, the deputy speaker, the majority whip and the minority leader should confront the allegations made against them as individuals.
“We urge the leadership of the House of Representatives to stop presenting the 2016 budget padding allegations as the problem of the entire house.
“Let those at the centre of the controversy answer to all the allegations made against them individually and collectively in line with legal practice and our criminal justice system,” Soba demanded.
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