Buhari Meets Dogara; Assures Nigerians on Fulfillment of Electoral Promises

Buhari Meets Dogara; Assures Nigerians on Fulfillment of Electoral Promises

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara, on Friday, met President Muhammadu Buhari over the budget padding scandal rocking the lower legislative chamber.

Dogara has come under the cosh in recent weeks following damning revelations by a former Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, Hon Abdulmumin Jibrin, accusing him and the House leadership of criminal complicity in the 2016 budget padding fiasco.

This has led to the closure of the Appropriations Office by officials of the Department of State Security (DSS) for investigation and possible prosecution.

The embattled speaker arrived at the Presidential Villa Friday afternoon and went straight into the president’s office for a meeting that lasted a little over 30 minutes, after which he told State House correspondents that his position was not threatened as he’d done no wrong.

“I am a lawyer and have been a legislator for a while, I never knew of an offence called budget padding,” he said, while dismissing the growing clamour for his resignation.

Meanwhile, President Buhari has assured Nigerians that he remains committed to the fulfillment of his electoral promises, even though the task may not be an easy one, Punch writes.

He made the declaration while speaking at the Graduation Ceremony of Course 24 of the National Defence College, Abuja, where he was the Special Guest of Honour.

“Let me assure you all that this administration is committed to bequeathing to this nation, a new orientation in leadership that will be service-driven and committed to the realisation of its promises to the electorates,” he said.

“We are however not under any illusions that this task is an easy one.”

The president, who promised to tackle the problem of neglect in the Niger Delta region, warned marauding herdsmen that his administration “will not tolerate or condone acts of banditry and criminality, under any guise.”

He assured that Nigeria had made tremendous progress in the last one year, and called for cooperation as the country retakes her rightful position in the comity of nations.