Nigeria, July 22, 2016 – The ongoing battle between former Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, Hon Abdulmumin Jibrin and Yakubu Dogara took a new twist today when he accused the Dogara and three other principal officers of the House of an attempt to blackmail and harass him with a view to obstruct justice.
In a statement released by his lawyers, Jibrin accused the Speaker of plans to use some elements within the police to monitor, harass, intimidate and hound him over the recent revelations regarding the 2016 budget padding fiasco.
It would be recalled that Jibrin who stepped down as Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations on Thursday accused the Speaker of the House, Yakubu Dogara, his Deputy, Yusuf Lasun, and two others of conniving to distribute to themselves 40 Billion Naira out of the 100 Billion Naira allocated to the entire National Assembly in the 2016 budget.
According to Jibrin, his refusal to the sum of about N30 Billion at the behest of these quartet set him on a war path with Dogara which culminated in his decision to step down as Appropriations Committee Chairman.
In the statement released this evening, through his lawyers from Messrs Hammart & Co, Doka Chambers and Pp Law Bond Solicitors, Jibrin advised Dogara to set up a special investigation into the allegations levied against him and the three others, that is Speaker Yakubu Dogara, Deputy Speaker Yusuf Lasun, House Whip Hon. Alhassan Ado Doguwa, and House Minority Leader, Hon. Leo Ogor.
“The above quartet have resorted to blackmail our Client into silence and to further harass his person and family using the instrument of the obstructive coercion and perversion of due process by deploying, albeit illegally some elements of the Nigeria Police.
“You will recall that our Client is in dispute with the said quartet over his refusal and inability to admit into the National Budget of 2016, the sum of about 30 Billion Naira at the behest of these quartet and also his refusal to cover up the decision of Speaker Dogara and others’ unilateral decision to distribute to themselves 40 Billion Naira out of the 100 Billion Naira allocated to the entire National Assembly in addition to what our client considers as wasteful projects of over 20 Billion Naira to their (quartet) various constituencies”, the lawyers said.
“We now have it on good authority that these quartet acting in concert are at the moment using some elements within the police to monitor, harass, intimidate and hound our client into an unwarranted detention with the purpose of inhibiting his right to move freely and to express himself as contained in Chapter 4 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended); the purpose of their antics is to upturn the narrative and paint our client as the black sheep in the flock, and cleverly presenting themselves as transparent angels.
“Accordingly, we have made appropriate representations to the Inspector General of Police and other relevant security agencies in the Country drawing their attention to this unwarranted and ill-intentioned steps taken by these quartet and not to allow themselves (security agencies) to be used to execute the personal objectives of these quartet; more so appropriate legal action has been taken by our client, as a law abiding citizen, to protect his fundamental rights as guaranteed by our laws”, his lawyers said.
They advised Speaker Dogara and the 3 other principal officers not to descend to the narrow aim of dragging the institution of the House of Representatives into their personal fight and to note that by virtue of the institution he leads and as a lawyer, he should act within the confines of the Rule of Law and allow the House of Representatives to institute a special investigation into this matter .
