Gbajabiamila Submits Self to Police as EFCC Probes NASS N300bn Budgets

Gbajabiamila Submits Self to Police as EFCC Probes NASS N300bn Budgets

Majority leader of the house of representatives, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila has submitted himself to the Nigeria Police Force for investigation into insinuations that he played a role in padding the 2016 budget.

Gbajabiamila told newsmen on Friday that he took the step so he could put the speculation about his possible involvement in the budget padding scandal to rest, Punch reports.

Former chairman of the house committee on Appropriation, Hon Abdulmumin Jibrin had openly accused Speaker Yakubu Dogara and four principal officers of complicity in padding the budget.

Jibrin also stated that some other members of the house were involved in appropriating huge sums to themselves in the guise of constituency projects. This led to suggestions in some quarters that Gbajabiamila could not be exonerated, being the majority leader of the house.

Gbajabiamila confirmed that the decision to sack Jibrin as appropriation committee head was collectively taken by the leadership of the House. He also admitted that he attended a principal officers’ meeting on Thursday, where all the officers signed a joint statement to disown Jibrin.

However, he said he gave a condition before signing the statement that he would want his alleged role in the budget padding to be investigated.

He said going to the police was important to him against the backdrop of reports that he was among those sponsoring Jibrin.

Meanwhile, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has launched a probe into the 2014 and 2015 budgetary allocations of the National Assembly.

The anti-graft agency is said to have demanded the details of the budgets totalling N300bn from the National Assembly clerk, Sani OmolorI.

The clerk was also requested to produce details of the contracts awarded by the assembly.

According to Punch, sources within the agency revealed that former senate president, David Mark and his successor, Bukola Saraki as well his deputy senate president, Ike Ekweremadu among others, are likely to be invited by the EFCC to answer questions around the budgets.