BEVERLY HILLS, June 13, (THEWILL) – The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has invited suspended member of the House of Representatives, Abdulmumin Jibrin, to clarify allegations that the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, and three other principal officers “padded” the 2016 budget in excess of N40bn.
The others are the Deputy Speaker, Yussuff Lasun; the Chief Whip, Alhassan Ado-Doguwa; and the Minority Leader, Leo Ogor.
In a letter dated June 9 and addressed to Jibrin, acting head of Extractive Industry Fraud Section, Michael Wetkas, on behalf of the commission’s acting chairman, Ibrahim Magu, said it was imperative for Jibrin to appear at the EFCC office on Wednesday to clarify some issues that will enable them conclude their investigation.
The invitation letter read in part, “The commission has commenced investigation and due to unfolding finding into the petition of corrupt practices and abuse of office reported on 1st August 2016 by Hammart & Co (Tafida chambers) on your behalf against Hon. Yakubu Dogara, Hon. Yusuf Lasun, Hon. Alhassan Ado-Doguwa, Hon. Leonard Okuweh Ogor and others.
“In furtherance of the investigation and due to unfolding findings, it has become imperative to request that you attend another interview with the team through Ibrahim Ahmed on 13th June, 2017 at 3rd floor, block A, No. 5 Fomella street, off Adetokunbo Ademola crescent Wuse 2, Abuja by 10:00am to clarify some issues to enable us conclude investigation.
“Accept the assurance of the executive chairman’s highest regards, please.”
Jibrin, who was suspended for “181 legislative days” last September, in his reaction to the invitation letter, said the invitation is a welcome development and that it came at an appropriate time.
He said, “It is also noteworthy that this invitation is coming at a time that some revelations were made last week with details of how the minority leader of the house Leo Ogor used his company where he is the signatory to the accounts to execute constituency projects contracts completely against the laws of our land.
“It is however worrisome that in his response, Ogor admitted the offence and even boasted that there is nothing wrong in what he did as quoted by The Nation newspaper.
“Let me state emphatically clear that any member or senator who used his company or companies with links to him to execute constituency project contracts, whether such contracts are executed or not has committed an offence.
“Either way you look at it, he can be prosecuted on charges of corruption or abuse of office. The case of Leo Ogor is same or even worse than that of Babachir Lawal yet the entire national assembly has maintained an embarrassing silence. Is my boss, senate president and chairman of national assembly, Bukola Saraki, aware of this?
“In due course I will expose a lot of other issues in the 2017 budget that will shock Nigerians whether the authority decides to act on it or not.”
