By; JOSHUA I. EGBODO, Abuja.
Former chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations, Abdulmumin Jibrin has given the House leadership an ultimatum of 72 hours to provide him and the public with details of how running costs of the House are managed, as well as other allowances of principal officers.
Jibrin in a letter dated September 28, 2016 to the principal officer and other members of the House said “It is in view of the above and enforcing that I demand each of you to provide me and make public within 72 hours what you have received in monetary terms as running cost of your offices in your entire stay in the house of Representatives and details of how you spent it failure of which I will take necessary legal action to compel you to do so.
In the letter he titled; “Details and management of running cost and other allowances of principal officers of the House”, the lawmaker noted; “You will recall that I have embarked on an Anti-corruption crusade to expose systemic and individual corruption in the House of Representatives and push for reforms that will wipe out corruption and ensure that the House conducts its affairs and management of its finances in a transparent and efficient way for the good of our country.
“In the last few weeks I have raised several allegations of budge fraud, abuse of office, public trust and corruption against Speaker Dogara, Deputy Speaker Yusuf Lasun, Chief Whip Alhassan Doguwa, Minority Leader Leo Ogor and few other members.
“None of them responded to the allegations neither has any of them with the exception of the House Leader honour the invitation or submit and clear his name before the security and anti-graft agencies. I will follow up on this case until Justice is served.
“Similarly, and in the spirit of opening up the affairs of the House for the Nigerian people, I released figures of the amount each of you received as running cost. None of you responded despite the gravity of the issue. This is an issue that Nigerians in their millions are calling on us to open up. I will take it for granted that you have all denied the allegations”.
