Katsina State governor, and former speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Bello Masari has described the on-going exchange of fireworks between the speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara and Hon Abdulmumin Jibril, the ousted chairman of House Committee on Appropriations as unfortunate, noting that it could have been handled in a better manner.Speaking to our correspondent through phone, Masari said the need to maintain the integrity of the House of Representatives ought to have been paramount in the disagreement.He said the controversy was negatively affecting the House as an institution as it was putting it into disrepute noting, I recall during my tenure as speaker, there was the issue of bribe for budget, which apparently consumed former Senate president, Adolphus Wabara.He observed that all Jibrin has said against the speaker are mere allegations stressing that it was important for Jibrin to understand that the House of Representatives as an institution was more important than anybody.According to the former speaker, Bringing down the institution is not the ideal thing. I dont know the approach they followed in removing him but these things require discussionContinuing, Masari said If they sat and felt that in the interest of the institution he has to be removed, I think it ought not result in this kind of situation. It is necessary for them to put a break because the whole issue is in the public domain.There are allegations flying left, right and centre. All the parties involved should understand that the institution is more important than any one of them. Essentially, Hon Jibrin has to look at the institution and drop all these allegations. The fact that he is bringing these allegations now does not mean that he did not commit the offence for which he was punished.He is trying to drag everybody along and in the process tarnishing the image of the institution. I think somebody has to make sacrifice for the institution. Hon Jibirn should have made sacrifice for the institution and lay down his arms the former speaker said.Governor Masari also stated that It is good that former leaders are commenting because obviously it is becoming out of the control of the House itself.I hope the whole thing will not lead to something very serious. Jibrin needs to convince the House that what he is alleging is true and the House will through its Ethics and Privileges Committee, decide on what to do. On the other hand, he is building sympathy to his position and providing those who are against the leadership of the House with ammunition.I hope the speaker will not allow Jibrin drag him into media war. He should allow his colleagues who can reply him to do it.House Appropriations Office SealedMeanwhile the alleged budget padding crisis rocking the House of Representatives took another turn as security agents, yesterday, sealed the secretariat of the House Committee on Appropriations.While there were speculations that the sealing off was carried out by officers of the Department of State Services, DSS, a highly placed officer of the Service, who serves at the National Assembly confided in our correspondent that the action was executed by the Sergeant-at-Arms and not by the DSS.It is the Sergeant-at-Arms not my office. They thought it was my office, he told our correspondent.This latest development is in continuation of the series of the political and media fireworks that have been raging between Dogara and Hon Jibrin, former chairman of House Appropriation Committee, over allegation of padding the figures in the 2016 Appropriation Act by the speaker and other principal officers of the House..Hon Jibrin began a campaign to oust Dogara from office a day after the speaker announced his removal from office as the chairman of Appropriation Committee on allegations that he was guilty of a series of betrayal of trust.The sealing of the House Appropriations Committee office is coming on the heels of Hon. Jibrins accusation that Dogara has ordered the vacation of personnel from the Appropriation Committee secretariat as well as an attempt to break into his office.Group Raises Fresh Allegations Against JibrinMeanwhile as events continue to unfold in the Dogara versus Jibrin matter in House of Representatives, a fresh petition has been routed to Nigerias foremost anti-corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC against Jibrin, alleging that he as former House chairman on Finance got himself involved for some years in the abuse of the appropriation process.The petition, written by the anti-corruption unit of the National Youth Council, NYC was addressed to the Acting chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, and signed by Ifeanyi Okonkwo.It was alleged that in the 2014 Budget, while serving as House Committee chairman on Finance, Jibrin padded the budget with projects domiciled under the National Commission For Refugees Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons.The petitioners further alleged that on September 26, 2014, the Agency awarded all the projects to front companies provided by Hon Jibrin and purportedly copied him in each of the 10 award letters.The petition alleges that each of the 10 contracts was awarded to Kano State, but pointed out there was no location for the contracts; also no mention was made of the people who are going to benefit from the contracts, neither the name of the constituency for where the projects will be executed. It was merely awarded to Kano and the honourable member, representing Bebeji Constituency which is Jibrin Abdulmumin, who was copied the letter of contract award.In the two page petition which was backed by some attached documents, copies of which were made available to LEADERSHIP Sunday, the petitioners also allege that the 10 contracts had an execution time frame of just two weeks, which they say does not show that there was any intention of getting the projects executed in the first place.According to the petitioners what happened in NCFR was the same thing that happened to all the agencies that Jibrin domiciled his 2014 constituency projects.It was said that once these projects were passed in the budget, Jibrin would approach the agency and get the agency to give his front companies award letter and a short execution time, the companies would then be given a letter of completion immediately, which would be dated within two weeks deadline and the cheques would be written in the name of the companies and copied to him.On the side of the refugees and IDPs commissions, the petitioners are examining Jibrin for awarding contracts for fertilizers which are for farming, nursery seedlings, and Volkswagon Golf cars against addressing malnutrition issue among the refugees and IDPs.The petitioners therefore urged the EFCC to investigate and ascertain the extent of the culpability of the commissioner of NCFR in the award of the contracts and to do same on Hon Jibrin for same reason.Jibrin Files His Petition To EFCCOn another score, Jibrin disclosed that he has written a petition to the EFCC to investigate his allegations against the House leadership.The lawmaker from Kano State said the anti-graft commission has taken possession of the petition he wrote against Dogara, his deputy Yusuf Lasun, House Whip Alhassan Doguwa, and Minority Leader, Leo Ogor.Other lawmakers reported in the petition are, Herma Hembe, Zakari Mohammed, Chike Okafor, Dan Asuquo, Mohammed Bago, Haliru Jika, Jagaba Adams and Babanle Ila, all of whom are heads of committees in the House.The case against them ranges from corrupt enrichment, abuse of office and public trust, living above means, massive movement of funds in budget, Jibrin said in his Twitter handle.Dogara and all those whom Jibrin accused have denied any wrongdoing.Hon Jibrin has also acknowledged that he had been provided with extra personal security, having become a key witness in the investigation and likely trial of the speaker and his accused colleagues. The former House chairman on Appropriation has equally disclosed that his offices have also been afforded more protection by security operatives to secure documents relating to his matter against Dogara and others.He disclosed further in a Twitter message that upon request by his lawyers, the security agents provided him maximum protection and his offices as the key witness during prosecution in the matter.It would be recalled that Hon Abdulrazak Namdas, House Committee chairman on Media and Public Affairs has rather accused Jibrin of being disgruntled because he was removed from his position as Appropriations Committee chairman.
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