committee on appropriation have been barred by their party from speaking
further to the press on crisis in the House over illegal pork barrel projects.
Daily Trust learnt that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) gave the gag
order in a letter sent to them dated yesterday.
The House has been set against itself since the scandal broke and it continues
to dominate newspaper headlines and the social media.
It all began when on July 20 the Speaker sacked Abdulmumin Jibrin as
chairman appropriation committee over allegation that he illegally inserted
projects worth N4 billion for his constituency.
Few days later Jibrin responded by embarking on a damning media campaign
against the Speaker, his deputy Yussuf Suleimon Lasun and two others, alleging
that they have done far worse than what they said he did.
He said the Speaker, his deputy together with chief whip, Alhassan Ado Doguwa
and the minority leader, Leo Ogor, have illegally pork-barrelled projects worth
over N40 billion into national budget.
Jibrin released documents to the social media, some with hand written notes on
the margin, which he suggested were made by the Speaker and the others to
prove his allegations.
At the last count Jibrin had made about 23 allegations against the quartet and
personally delivered petitions he wrote against them to anti graft agency, the
EFCC, the internal intelligence agency, the DSS and Force Headquarters.
It was at this point that the party said it had had enough and summoned both
sides for a separate meeting on Tuesday to broker a truce.
Sources told Daily Trust that it was as a result of that meeting that the party
sent separate letters to both Dogara and Jibrin, directing them to stop further
public statement on the matter.
The letter, seen by Daily Trust, which was signed by the party’s deputy national
chairman, North, Lawal Shuaibu, said:
“As you are aware, the party and indeed the Government have not been happy
over recent developments in the House of Representatives over the issue of the
2016 Budget. We found it embarrassing to have to deal with another new
phenomenon you tagged ‘Budget Padding.
“However, I write to thank you for your cooperation in honouring our
intervention and your readiness to afford the party the chance to handle the
House of Representatives ‘budget padding’ crisis.
“Arising from the series of meetings we held with you over the subject matter,
the National Working Committee had decided to request you to henceforth avoid
issuing any public statement on this matter.
“This, however, includes statements through social media or other means of
transmitting an opinion on the matter to the public, as the party is now looking
into it towards finding possible solution.”
Daily Trust gathered that during the party’s meeting with Jibrin on Tuesday, the
officials expressed their displeasure over the happenings and told him the
implication of his action to the party, saying it could go beyond the National
Assembly.
It was further gathered that the session got so heated that Jibrin broke into
tears.
However, Jibrin told Daily Trust on Wednesday night, before the party’s letter of
yesterday, that the APC leaders only demanded the details of what happened.
He spoke only briefly on the matter.
“They called me to hear the full details of what is happening. But they didn’t in
any way try to force me to drop the criminal allegations that I made against the
13 members of the House.”
Asked about the displeasure expressed by the party about his action and its
consequences on the party and some of its officials, Jibrin simply said “I don’t
know about that.”
When Daily Trust further asked Jibrin if it was true that he cried during the
interaction, he burst into laughter and then said “I’ve already responded, and I
think what I said is enough,” he said.
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