Reps set for showdown

Members of the Transparency Group in the House of Representatives are poised for showdown over the allegations on the 2016 budget as the House reconvenes from an 8-week recess today.

The House went on the recess on July 21 after the sack of Abdulmumin Jibrin as chairman of the appropriation committee 24 hours earlier.

Jibrin subsequently raised several corruption allegations against Speaker Yakubu Dogara; Deputy Speaker, Yussuf Suleimon Lasun; Chief Whip, Alhassan Ado Doguwa and Minority Leager, Leo Ogor, which he alleged they perpetrated in the budget.

The Transparency Group, which came up late July, had demanded an external probe into the matter.

The deputy spokesman of the group, Rep Yusuf Bala Ikara (APC, Kaduna) told Daily Trust last night that part of their resolution was that Dogara and the rest should step aside for two weeks for a speaker pro tempo to emerge.

“If after investigation is carried out and they’re not found guilty, they can then resume their seats,” he said.

He also said they resolved to invite Jibrin to address them to know if his motives were similar to theirs.

Another resolution reached, he said, was that the group would not allow any member to be suspended, in reference to Jibrin, and that they would not accept any vote of confidence on Dogara or any other principal officer of the House.

But House spokesman, Rep Abdulrazak Namdas (APC, Adamawa), when contacted, insisted that members of the Transparency Group must subject whatever motion they have to the rules of the House.