The former Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation, Mr. Abdulmumin Jibrin, on Thursday, advised the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, to halt the payment of running costs to members of the House.
Jibrin claimed that the money was not used for the services of the House but “diverted into private pockets.”
The federal lawmaker from Kano State, who was suspended last week by the House, also called on Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government to shun further invitations by the House to appear for investigative hearings and other activities of the House.
But the House dismissed Jibrin’s call again.
The Chief Whip of the House, Mr. Alhassan Ado-Doguwa, said the suspended legislator was speaking “rubbish.”
Jibrin stated, “I am also demanding that the Minister of Finance, the Accountant General of the Federation, the Attorney General of the Federation and the Clerk to the National Assembly, in exercising my right as a citizen of Nigeria, should stop with immediate effect, further payments of running cost allowances to members of the House of Representatives.
“As an insider, I know that most of such monies have been and are diverted into private pockets.
“There is no law in our country that is intended to protect corruption. So, the continuous payment of such money negates the spirit and genuine intention of establishing such laws in the first place.
“I am also calling on Nigerians, companies, ministries, departments and agencies to shun invitations from the House of Representatives until the House allows for a transparent investigation of individual and systemic corruption allegations in collaboration with ongoing external investigations by the police and anti-graft agencies.”
Jibrin alleged that the reason the attempt by the House to probe a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, failed was because a senior member of the House frustrated the investigation.
In keeping with his promise, Jibrin said he had begun to forward the names of members in batches to anti-graft agencies on how they allegedly misused the running costs.
The lawmaker said he was prepared to serve the “harshest punishment” if his allegations were proven to be wrong.
In his reaction, Ado-Doguwa, who argued that Jibrin’s suspension was in order, told The PUNCH that members expected that Jibrin would keep reeling out more allegations, in spite of being on suspension.
He stated, “Let him say whatever rubbish he wants to say.
“I am sure Nigerians are now realising the truth in Jibrin’s stupidity.
“His suspension serves him right. We could not have done anything less.”
PUNCH
