EFCC, Others Can’t Probe Reps Because of Budget Padding - Dogara

The Speaker of the House, Yakubu Dogara has said those calling for his prosecution for his alleged involvement in the fraudulent manipulation of the 2016 budget were doing so out of sheer ignorance. Mr. Dogara said the laws governing the National Assembly accorded all lawmakers a great degree of immunity from prosecution on the basis of exercising their legislative functions. “It doesn’t even make sense and they have forgotten about Section 30 of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, and others” which says “most of the things we do in the National Assembly are privileged.

We are Elected to Pad the Budget - Lawmaker Opens Up

The Chairman House of Representative Committee on Legislative Compliance, Abiodun Olasupo has supported the issue of 'budget padding' that has ravaged the National Assembly of recent, The Nation reports. According to the green chamber member, the act of padding the budget remains a constititutional responsibility of legislative arm of government. On this note, the lawmakers accused of padding the budget act within the purview of their responsibilities. Olasupo, representing Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Kajola/ Iwajowa federal constituency stated this during the inspection of some his zonal intervention projects and federal government projects within his constituency on Wednesday in Oke-Ogun area of Oyo State.

Budget Padding Takes New Twist as Speaker Dogara Shuns Police Invitation

According to an authoritative report by Punch late on Wednesday, the embattled speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, shunned the invitation of the Nigerian Police Special Investigating Panel over allegations of budget padding. The report revealed further that the Speaker did not honour the police invitation because the letter was not signed by the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris.

Budget Padding: Jibrin Spits Fire Again as He Exposes Dogara's New Plot for Survival

According to Premium Times, former chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation, Abdulmumin Jibrin yesterday, 7th of August opened up to the media once more despite efforts by the APC leadership to gag him while they broker peace between him and his former principal, Honourable Speaker, Yakubu Dogara of the House of Representatives. Jibrin who has been vehemently exposing the budget saga that heavily indicted 12 other lawmakers and principal officers in the House has alleged again that two state Governor are working secretly to save Dogara from exposure. Jibrin, a Political Scientist seems defiant in his bid to take down Dogara and his cohorts as he as sworn never to withdraw the charges against Dogara who has sworn never to resign from office despite his pressure. Mr. Jibrin returned with his attacks after briefly complying with a gag order issued by the APC on Thursday - barely three days ago - indicating that the fragile accord may have broken down.