Budget Padding: NANS tells Dogara to step aside

Abiodun Onafuye/Abeokuta

Yakubu Dogara, Speaker, House of Representatives

The National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS (Joint Campus Committee), Ogun State has called on the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Honourable Yakubu Dogara to step aside following allegations of budget padding.

The student body’s call for him to step down comes after former Chairman of the Appropriation Committee in the House of Reps, Abdulmumin Jibrin claimed that Dogara and other principal officers wanted him to pad the 2016 budget.

In a statement signed by the Chairman, NANS (Joint Campus Committee), Ogun State. Comrade Dotun Opaleye,a.k.a. Zamora on Tuesday, the students group disclosed that it was appalled by the revelations emanating from the Federal House of Representatives on allegations bothering on the Padding of the 2016 Budget.

NANS then called on anti-graft agencies to commence investigation into the matter without fear or favour, stressing that, they do not believe in the sincerity of the House to conduct a probe devoid of bias and without reeking of corruption.

“NANS call on EFCC, ICPC and Police to investigate and consequently prosecute any legislator or bureaucrat who is found culpable.

“It is however ludicrous that after shocking discoveries have been made by the whistleblower, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin, the erstwhile Chairman, House Committee on Appropriations, insisting that certain principal officers led by the Rt. Hon. Speaker abused their offices, betrayed public trust and sought to corruptly enrich themselves to the tune of N40 billion naira nothing has been
done.

“This alleged actions, if true, is absolutely repulsive, especially during this extremely tough times in our national history.

“We are fully aware that so many issues of national importance have been surreptitiously swept under the carpet never to see the light of day, a trademark of our “fantastically corrupt legislators”, the statement read.

The students’ body however reiterated its support for President Muhammed Buhari’s anti-corruption crusade, adding that, “this is indeed a true litmus test”.

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