Jibrin risks 12-month imprisonment as house begins probe

Abdulmumin Jibrin, former chairman of the house of reps committee on appropriations, might be given a 12-month prison sentence if found guilty of damaging the reputation of the house.

Emmanuel Oker-Jev, chairman, rules and business committee, said this on Friday when he appeared before the ethics committee to tender evidence of reported statements where Jibrin accused the house of corruption.

Citing section 21 (1) of the legislative powers act, Oker-Jev said any member who publishes any document as evidence against any committee is guilty of contempt.

He argued that based on section 24 of the same legislative powers act, Jibrin was liable to 12 months in imprisonment or a fine of N200.

He said he sponsored the motion against Jibrin because several members had approached him to tell him that they were offended by Jibrin’s allegations.

Jibrin had accused Yakubu Dogara, the speaker, and four other principal officers of padding the 2016 budget.

He also alleged that some members were not worthy of being called lawmakers.

“We are tired of members who only come to the chamber, lick Tom Tom, eat ground nuts and go back to their offices. I have to stop that,” he told AIT back in August.

“I want to see a situation where in 2019, if a Nigerian wakes up and says he wants to be a member of the house of representatives, he has to be someone that when he sits in that chamber and you are seated in your living room, you should be able to say I am proud that this is a member of the house of representatives.”

The leadership of the house accused him of bringing dishonour to the lower chamber, and after a rowdy session on Wednesday, the ethics committee was mandated to probe allegations of misconduct against him.

Later that day, Jibrin said he would only appear before the committee if the hearing was made public.

At the end of the inaugural sitting of the committee investigating Jibrin, Nicholas Ossai, chairman of the ethics committee, announced that hearing will continue at 12 noon on Monday, and that Jibrin is expected to appear.