Budget padding: Jibrin accuses Dogara, Lasun, Doguwa, Ogor of harassment

The embattled former Chairman of House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations, Abdulmumin Jibrin has accused the Speaker of the House, Yakubu Dogara, and his deputy, Yussuff Lasun of using police to harass and intimidate  him over his allegation against the House presiding officers.

Jibrin also accused the Chief Whip of the House, Alhassan Ado Doguwa, and the Minority leader, Leo Ogor of working in unison with the two presiding officers to monitor his movement. But he said no level of intimidation and harassment will make him to withdraw his statement that the body of principal officers compelled him to pad N40 billion for them in the 2016 budget.
But the vice chairman, House of committee on downstream sector, Danlami Muhammad Kurfi has condemned Jibrin for calling on Speaker Dogara to resign.
Kurfi who represents Dutsinma/Kurfi federal constituency of Katsina state said the former appropriation committee chairman should not be taken serious because his utterances were mere ranting of someone who was paying for his actions.  According to him, “Why did it take him this long to tell Mr President that the Speaker dines with his enemies” Kurfi queried and insisted that the appropriation committee should thank his stars that his sack came when members were on recess.
“if this had happened while we were in session, some of us would have moved for his suspension.”
He accused the former appropriation committee chairman of arrogance, saying,  “he has no regards for other members of the House and even members of his committee.”
He said that the removal of Jibrin was one of the best decision to be taken by the Speaker noting that the former appropriation committee betrayed trust of not just the lower chambers but that of all Nigerians.
But Jibrin through his lawyers from the law office of Messers Hammart & Co, Law Bond Dolicitors and Doka Chambers in a statement in Abuja accused the quartet of making “subterranean and clandestine efforts” to use the police to harass him.
According to the statement, “The above quartet have resorted to blackmail our Client into silence and to further harass his person and family using the instrument of the obstructive coercion and perversion of due process by deploying, albeit illegally some elements of the Nigeria Police.
“You will recall that our Client is in dispute with thesaid quartet over his refusal and inability to admit into the National Budget of 2016, the sum of about 30 Billion Naira at the behest of these quartet and also his refusal to cover up the decision of Speaker Dogara and others’ unilateral decision to distribute to themselves 40 Billion Naira out of the 100 Billion Naira allocated to the entire National Assembly in addition to what our Client considers as wasteful projects of over 20 Billion Naira to their (quartet) various constituencies.
“We want to state unequivocally that our client stands by the above assertion and will at the appropriate time prove same.
“We now have it on good authority that these quartet acting in concert are at the moment using some elements within the police to monitor, harass, intimidate and hound our client into an unwarranted detention with the purpose of inhibiting his right to move freely and to express himself as contained in Chapter 4 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended); the purpose of their antics is to upturn the narrative and paint our client as the black sheep in the flock, and cleverly presenting themselves as transparent angels.
“Accordingly, we have made appropriate representations to the Inspector General of Police and other relevant security agencies in the Country drawing their attention to this unwarranted and ill intentioned steps taken by these quartet and not to allow themselves (security agencies) to be used to execute the personal objectives of these quartet; more so appropriate legal action has been taken by our client, as a law abiding citizen, to protect his fundamental rights as guaranteed by our laws.
“Finally, we hasten to advise Speaker Dogara and the 3 other principal officers mentioned here not to descend to the narrow aim of dragging the institution of the House of Representatives into their personal fight and to note that by virtue of  the institution he leads and as a lawyer, he should act within the confines of the Rule of Law and allow the House of Representatives to institute a special investigation into this matter where our Client will have the opportunity earlier denied him by the quartet to testify and provide evidence against them because he who comes to equity must come with clean hands.”