Dogara forgot those who helped him become speaker, says Jibrin

Abdulmumin Jibrin, former chairman of the house of representatives committee on appropriations, says Yakubu Dogara has “forgotten those who led the campaign that brought him up speaker in the first place.”

Jibrin also said Dogara and the other four principal officers he accused of padding the budget sought immunity for their selfish gains and to cover up fraud.

The house had recently “hotly” debated a bill seeking to amend section 302 of the constitution to provide immunity clause for the leadership of the national assembly.

However, the bill, which generated controversy, was passed and referred to a special committee on constitution review for consideration.

In a 17-page letter to his colleagues dated September 14, Jibrin said the house would be a laughing stock in the eyes of the public if the legislators did not ask the speaker to resign.

“Immunity for Principal Officers debate gave me a chance to prove to them that enough is enough. With what I know, I was convinced they wanted immunity for their selfish purpose not in the interest of the institution,” Jibrin said.

“Just imagine with all these fraud they perpetrated if they had immunity? At that point, I had made up my mind to leave. The whole environment was filthy.

“The smell of corruption was all over Speaker Dogara. It is a fact that he and his gang of few other members like Hon.Herman Hembe were very corrupt – front, back, left, right and centre. He isolated himself with a very few small-minded rogues in the house.

“Anything short of asking the Speaker and others to resign, the House will become a laughing stock in the eyes of the public.”

He said upon resumption, the house would have a “golden opportunity” to deal with the “deal with this issue of incontrovertible corruption by speaker Dogara and others.”

He reiterated to his colleagues that with the allegations he tendered against the speaker and others Dogara and the principal officers had lost moral ground to continue in office.

In his usual mischievous manner, speaker Dogara is wielding religious and ethnic cards and trying to drag the institution of the House, other institutions and innocent individuals into the matter,” he said.

“He has so soon forgotten those that led the campaign that brought him up as Speaker in the first place. In order not to take Nigerians for granted, I crave your indulgence Hon colleague that this matter should be dispensed with as a first line charge in the house before proceeding with any business of the house.

“Anything short will send a wrong signal to the public that the whole House is an accomplice in a crime obviously committed by the Speaker and few corrupt members.

“I plead to you my honourable colleague to join hands in this patriotic task of salvaging our country from the chronic danger and destructive element of corruption. Those who commit offence must be punished.

“The institution of the house shall stand beyond any individual! How we handle this matter is a litmus test for the house of representatives.

“If we can not deal decisively with allegations of corruption within the house and ensure that justice is served irrespective of who is involved, we would have lost the moral ground to deal with corruption outside the house which constitute an important part of our responsibility.”

Jibrin is accusing Dogara and other legislators of padding the 2016 budget through “unnecessary projects.”