Dogara breaks silence on alleged budget padding

I wish to state clearly that there was no act of corruption by me during and/or after the preparation of the 2016 budget

In spite of the allegations made against him by the former chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation, the Speaker of the House, Yakubu Dogara, has insisted that he did not doctor the 2016 budget.

“I wish to reiterate that no Kobo belonging to Nigerians has been misappropriated, stolen or lost in this budget saga,” Dogara said on Saturday on his official Twitter account.

“I wish to state clearly that there was no act of corruption by me during and/or after the preparation of the 2016 budget.”

Dogara also said he never claimed he could not be prosecuted as a lawmaker, noting he was not above the law.

“I did not say or mean that I am above the law or that I am shielded by the law, or that I have immunity for any infractions on the law,” he said.

“I am not above the law, and I would never imply that I cannot be investigated by security agencies or tried by our courts.”

Abdulmumuni Jibrin, who chaired the appropriation in the lower chamber until July 20, had accused Speaker Yakubu Dogara, his deputy, Mr Sulaimon Yussuff Lasun, House Minority Leader, Mr Leo Ogor and the House Chief whip, Mr Ado Doguwa of selfishly allocating projects worth N60 billion to their constituencies. He, therefore, demanded the resignation of all the principal officers.

Jibrin noted that he was removed from his position mainly because he had different opinions about how things should be done.

“My offence was asserting my independence and insisting we do the right thing at all times and expose corrupt people in the House,” he said in a statement.

But the Speaker insisted that all the allegations Jibrin levelled against were false, saying that the truth would soon be obvious.

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“I further wish to deny any and all other allegations of a personal nature against me. They are fictional and scandalous untruths.

“I wish to appeal to the Nigerian public for patience as the truth which will vindicate the innocent in this saga will unfold soon.”