Former Chairman, Appropriation Committee, House
of Representatives, Abdulmumin Jibrin disclosed
Thursday why the House’s Speaker, Yakubu Dogara
and other principal officers of the lower legislative
chamber were bent on expelling him.
Jibrin said he attracted the wrath of the House’s
leadership when, as Chairman of the Appropriation
Committee he rejected alleged proposals by Dogara
and others to corner about N90billion to themselves
from the 2016 budget.
He made this claim in a fresh document he filed
before the Federal High Court, Abuja in furtherance
of his suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS:595/2016, seeking
to among others, restrain the House’s leadership
from suspending him from the House.
Defendants in the suit are the House of
Representatives, the Clerk of the House of
Representatives, Dogara, Yusuf Lasun (Deputy
Speaker), Alhassan Ado Doguwa, Leo Ogor, Herman
Hembe, Umar Mohammed Bago, Zakari
Mohammed, Chike Okafor, Dan Asuquo, Jagaba
Adms, Haliru Jika and Uzoma Abonta.
In the document filed yesterday, Jibrin, an All
Progressives Congress legislator, representing Kiru/
Bebeji Federal Constituency of Kano State, said he
had some conflicts with the House’s leadership
because he rejected their unlawful directives.
He said, in the document – a counter affidavit –
deposed to on his behalf by one of his lawyers,
Nura Abdulrrahman that one of such instances was
his “refusal to admit into the nation’s 2016 budget
the sum of about N30b.
“His refusal to cover up the decision of the 3rd to
14th defendants’ (Dogara and others’) unilateral
decision to allocate to themselves N40b out of the
N100b allocated to the entire National Assembly, in
addition to what he (Jibrin) considered as wasteful
projects of over N20b to the 3rd – 14th defendants’
constituencies.
“Even when he (Jibrin) had given the defendants/
respondents, especially the 3rd (Dogara) statistics
of 2000 new projects introduced into the
Appropriation Bill by less than 10 committee
members, the 3rd defendant took no decision or
corrective.
“When the inflation of the said budget became a
matter of public interest and controversy, the
defendant, especially the 3rd -14th started taking
measures to avoid responsibility and to place the
entire issue on the shoulders of the plaintiff so as
to use him (Jibrin) as a scapegoat,” Abdulrrahman
said in the counter affidavit filed in response to the
defendants’ notice of preliminary objection.
Jibrin denied claim by Dogara that he (the plaintiff)
was removed as the Chair of the House’s
Appropriation Committee. He said he voluntarily
resigned his position and informed Dogara to that
effect on July 20, 2016.
As against the defendants’ claim in their objection
that they were no planning to suspend Jibrin, and
that the House did not intend to reconvene before
the end of its vacation, Jibrin stated that Dogara
and others were plotting to reopen the House and
suspend him.
He urged the court to proceed to determine his
case. And grant all his reliefs, which include a
declaration that the decision taken by the
defendants at a meeting held on August 3, 2016 to
suspend the plaintiff as a member of the House of
Reps without granting him the right to fair hearing is
unlawful.
He also seeks a declaration that the defendants are
bound to comply with the provisions of sections 49,
54, 56 and 60 of the 199 Constitution and the
Standing Orders of the House of Reps, regulating its
sitting, procedure and other matters in the conduct
of its legislative functions as provided in the
Constitution and the Standing Orders made pursuant
to the Constitution.
Dogara and others have, in the notice of preliminary
objection they filed on Tuesday, urged the court to
decline jurisdiction to hear the case and strike it out
on the grounds that the suit disclosed “no
reasonable cause of action.”
The Clerk, Appropriation Committee of the House of
Representatives, Dr. Abel Ochigbo faulted Jibrin’s
claims and stated that there was no plan to
suspend him and that no meeting has been held to
that effect.
Ochigbo, who deposed to the affidavit supporting
the defendants’ objection, stated that all that were
done during the process leading to the passage of
the budget was within the law. He added that since
the budget has become law, nobody could query
the steps taken by the law makers.
“The 2016 Appropriation Act was duly passed by
the National Assembly and assented to by the
President of the federal Republic of Nigeria. The
issue of any officer of the House taking any
decisive action against any particular member or
members does not arise as the Appropriation Bill
has now become the Appropriation Act.
“The issue of inflation of the 2016 budget does not
arise as the Appropriation Bill was passed by the
House of Representatives pursuant to powers
vested in the House by the Constitution and in line
with the Standing Orders of the House.
“The Bill was duly certified pursuant to the
provisions of the Acts Authentication Act before it
was duly assented to by the President of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria and it is now being
executed as an Act of the National Assembly.”
Yesterday plaintiff’s lawyer, Abdulamid Mohammed
informed the court that the defendants served him
with their objection on Wednesday and that he has
filed a response. He sought a short stand down of
proceedings to enable him retrieve a copy of his
response from the court’s Registry.
Defendants’ lawyer, Kalu Onuoha objected to
Mohammed’s request for a stand-down. He sought
an adjournment to enable him study the plaintiff’s
response and decide whether or not to equally
respond.
Trial judge, Justice Okon Abang noted that since it
would be impossible for the court to conclude
hearing in the case before the end of the court’s
long vacation (September 9) it was unnecessary to
commence hearing in the case during vacation.
Justice Abang, who currently sits as the court’s
vacation judge, elected to return the case file to the
Chief Judge for reassignment after vacation. http://thenationonlineng.net/budget-padding-why-dogara-others-are-after-me-jibrin/

k

When i see this man d play futbol..i know say matter plenty...
Bubu we the citzens are much interest in this case..is not apc affair..na proper naija matter..
Rug don full..so no sweep am under..na park you go park am.
no throw dirty o..jibrin should be encouraged to sing
Eh..we already no say his corrupt..but this case..we're with him..

Apc and wayo..be like..