The Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila has offered himself for investigation by security and anti-corruption agencies over alleged padding of the 2016 budget.
Former Chair of Appropriation Committee, Abdulmumin Jibrin had alleged Speaker Yakubu Dogara, Deputy Speaker Yusuf Lasun, Whip Alhassan Doguwa and Minority Leader Leo Ogor of illegally padding the budget with about N40b. Jibrin also accused nine Committee Chairmen of inserting 2000 fictitious projects amounting to N284b into the budget.
Gbajabiamila, in a statement yesterday however noted that though his name was not mentioned by Jibrin of padding the budget since the controversy began, there was a need for him to clear his name.
The Majority Leader, who contested the Speakership position with Dogara also affirmed the innocence of the entire body of Principal officers of the House on the budget padding scandal.
He said: “I returned from the United States just yesterday after a three week break I called the Speaker a day before my return to urgently fix a Principal Officers meeting so we could address the several allegations made by Hon Jibrin.
“I would need to clear my name and that even though no petition was filed against me by Hon Jibrin and no invitation was extended to me by the police, I would be submitting myself on my own volition to the police for investigation.
“This is important to me as insinuations have been made from many quarters that I along with others were sponsoring Hon Jibrin. I have just this afternoon met with the police authorities for a proper and thorough investigation of my role if any in this whole bizzare episode.”
