Budget padding: Reps. can’t be gagged by any arm of govt. – Reps spokesman

The leadership of the House of Representatives on Thursday warned that the Executive arm cannot gag its operations in line with the principle of separation of powers.

Abdulrazak Namdas, chairman House Committee on Media and Public Affairs stated this while responding to question on the 180 legislative sitting days suspension slammed on Abdulmumin Jibrin during Wednesday plenary session.

Namdas who denied knowledge of any court prohibiting the investigation into the alleged breaches of members’ Privileges, also explained that the 180 legislative days suspension covers the three legislative sitting days: Tuesday to Thursday.

Namdas added that “there’s clear separation of powers,” hence “no arm is to gag another arm.”

He argued that the House derives its powers from the 1999 Constitution which empowers the House to be self-regulatory and formulate rules which were implemented in the case of Jibrin.

“Jibrin was suspended because our collective privilege was breached, that we are all corrupt,” Namdas stressing that such reckless allegation of ‘systemic corruption’ against the 360 members was uncharitable.

He also added that as at the time the committee on Ethics and Privileges concluded it’s investigation, there was no petition on the alleged corruption leveled against any of the principal officers and members by Jibrin.

While responding to the issue of the petitions and investigations by various security and anti-graft agencies, Namdas said: “we cannot speak for the other agencies but we can only speak for the House and National Assembly. We are saying that we are not corrupt. The man who said so cannot clarify it.”

In a swift reaction to his ejection from the National Assembly office in Room 1.05 New Building, Abdulmumin Jibrin wrote another letter titled: ‘Burden of proof of evidence: Running cost of the House of Representatives,” to each member of the House.

In the letter, Jibrin asked Speaker Yakubu Dogara to return the sum of N10 million running cost back to chest.

“I wish to draw your attention to the fact that since you suspended me yesterday and the suggestion of the Ethics Committee report that my allegations were generalized and without proof, I have come under intense public scrutiny and pressure to prove that there exists systemic corruption in the House.

“I have taken it as a responsibility to prove to the public that the House is a den of systemic corruption. As colleagues, I have bound with many of you and built a life long friendship.

“I have some of you that I hold in high esteem. If you end up at the receiving end of the actions I will be taking up in the next few days, I want you to know there is nothing personal but commitment and fervent desire to ensure that corruption is wiped out of the House and reforms that will restore the battered image of the House and take back the House to the Nigerian people is implemented.

“Consequent upon the above and before I proceed with the aggressive steps I intend to take, I hereby demand that if you have illegally taken or stolen any money meant for the running cost of your offices for your entire stay in the House, you should return the money within one week to the Clerk of the National Assembly and for purpose of clarity, I am referring to about N10 million you collect from tax payers’ money monthly.

“The Clerk will provide you with official account details, failure of which I will take necessary action to ensure that you return any money stolen and stand witness against you in case of prosecution.

“I have written to the Clerk of the National Assembly to stand by in anticipation. In the face of the revenue challenges and biting hardship the country is currently facing, there is no better time the country needs such money than now.

“In the case of the Presiding and Principal Officers, in addition to my demand in this letter which applies to them too, I have written them yesterday and gave them 72 hours ultimatum to make public the total amount they have received as running cost in their entire stay in the House, failure of which I will proceed with necessary legal action to compel them to make the total amount each of them have received public.

“There are other issues of monumental corruption in the House that I will be raising in the following weeks which we must all deal with, but first lets get done with this one,” Jibrin’s letter read.