Budget Padding: House of Reps suspends Jibrin for one year

Friday Ajagunna
Friday Ajagunna
Abdulmumin-Jibrin

The House of Representatives on Wednesday suspended Rep. Abdulmumin Jibrin (APC-Kano), the embattled former Chairman, House Committee on Appropriation, for a year.

Specifically, Jibrin was ordered to abstain from the lower legislative chamber for 180 legislative days for breach of privileges of members.

Jibrin’s suspension would see him barred from the premises of the National Assembly in the course of the disciplinary action and would not receive salaries or allowances.

Part of the punitive measures further stated that Jibrin would not be able to hold any position of responsibility for the lifespan of the current National Assembly.

These followed the adoption of the report of the House Committee on Ethics and Priviledges chaired by Rep. Nicholas Ossai at the plenary, presided over by the Deputy Speaker of the House, Yussuf Lasun.

According to the report, the committee found that Jibrin’s statements were injurious, scandalous and denigrating to the House as an institution.

It also stated that Jibrin’s statements brought down the image of the members thereby subjecting the house to opprobrium.

The report further said that the action of Jibrin amounted to an infraction of section 21 and 24 of the legislative House.

It would be recalled that Jibrin had alleged that the Speaker of the House, Yakubu Dogara, and three other principal officers, were corrupt and should resign.

Dogara had announced, shortly before the House went on a two-month recess, the removal of Jibrin in a speech he read in plenary on July 20, alleging budget fraud and serial betrayal of trust.

Upon resumption on Sept. 20, the House moved a motion the next day to have Jibrin probed for allegedly breaching the privileges of members.
Rep. Emmanuel Orker-Jev, (APC-Benue), proposed sanctions against Jubrin for the damage his allegations allegedly caused on the house.

The House also demanded that Jibrin should tender a formal written apology upon serving out the period of his suspension.

Jibrin had obtained an Abuja court injunction to stop his suspension by the committee.

Follow Us

Share This Article