Dogara Has Confirmed Involvement In 2016 Budget Padding – Jibrin

Recall that Dogara, after a closed-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday, said “I studied Law and I have been in the legislature and all this period I have never heard of the word ‘padding’ being an offence under any law.”

But Jibrin, in a series of tweet on Sunday, described the speaker’s statement as “reckless, insensitive, arrogant and fraudulent”.

In fresh allegations, Jibrin revealed that two serving state governors and three former members of the House of Representatives were blocking him from meeting President Muhammadu Buhari.

His allegation is coming few hours after his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), barred him from making further revelations on the 2016 budget padding scandal.

But defying his party’s order, Jibrin fearlessly alleged that the top government officials were obstructing him from meeting with Buhari so as to provide a soft landing for Dogara.

According to Jibrin, the governors had blocked him from having access to Buhari to tell the President his version of the crisis as Dogara did last week.

Jibrin, who assured that the names of the governors and former house members will be released in due course, alleged that “they have been running pillar to post” in fear of the consequence of their actions.

Jibrin said, “After three days of careful observation and receiving information from Nigerians, I discovered a grand plan by two governors and three former House members to provide a soft landing for Dogara and 12 others, give them time to clean up the mess on their desk, destroy whatever evidence in their possession and reach, spread money across members to buy signature of vote of confidence.

“Try to scare and drag as many people as they can into this matter, invade the party and top government officials and influential people that have the ears of the president and try to change the media and public narrative by embarking on very expensive media campaign to discredit and attack my person with all manner of lies they can concoct. I have made it a duty to respond to all the allegations against me”

On Dogara’s comment that “padding is not an offence,” Jibrin said, “I was shocked and dumbfounded when I saw the Speaker on television saying padding is not an offense. Not because of the disgraceful contradiction after clearly stating that I was “sacked” for padding but I could not believe he could have the temerity to make such reckless, insensitive, arrogant and fraudulent statement right within the sanctity of the Presidential Villa, a place that symbolizes zero tolerance for corruption.

“If you watched the Speaker on the screen talking, you can clearly see that from his face, cap, Agbada, down to his shoes, it was a radiation of corruption, dirty money, monumental fraud and abuse of office. It was irritating to see such character around the corridors of power.

“He didn’t know that by that statement he has clearly confirmed my allegation that he and 3 others connived with some committee chairmen to insert into the budget over 2,000 items worth 284 billion naira.

“No wonder he refused to take action despite my complaint Now that I have provided evidence that he and 3 others masterminded the insertion of 40 billion into budget, another wasteful 20billion naira and attempt to force me to insert another 30billion naira into the budget. So padding is no longer an offense???!” he asked.

“Let me make further revelations here. In addition to the allegations I already made, the anti-corruption agencies should ask Speaker Dogara why he collects N25m every month. They should also ask him to provide a proof of how he is funding his farm in Nasarawa State, which was just a few hectares six months ago and now miraculously expands to about 100 hectares with new buildings and state-of-the-art equipment worth millions of naira, as well as the mansion he has suddenly built in Wuse II within six months.”

Jibrin sought the intervention of former Heads of State and the diplomatic community to compel Dogara to reconvene the House immediately.

He said, “I am left with no choice but to plead with all our former Heads of State; Gen. Yakubu Gowon; Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo; Alhaji Shehu Shagari; Chief Ernest Shonekan; Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar; and Dr Goodluck Jonathan, and the diplomatic community, particularly Ambassador of the United States of America, High Commissioner of the United Kingdom, and all well-meaning Nigerians to call on Speaker Dogara and three others to reconvene the House immediately, step down and allow a thorough external investigation.”