Abdulmumin Jibrin, former chairman house of representatives committee on appropriations, has issued one-week ultimatum to his colleagues who may have “illegally taken or stolen any money” to return it to the clerk of the national assembly or risk being exposed.
In a statement on Thursday, Jibrin said in the face of the country’s economic challenges, there was no better time to return such monies.
He said for the principal officers, he had given them a 72-hour ultimatum to make public the total amount of they received as running cost in their entire stay at the house.
“I wish to draw your attention to the fact that since you suspended me yesterday and the suggestion of the ethics committee report that my allegations were generalised and without proof, I have come under intense public scrutiny and pressure to prove that there exists systemic corruption in the house.
“I have taken it as a responsibility to prove to the public that the House is a den of systemic corruption. As colleagues, I have bound with many of you and built a life long friendship.
“I have some of you that I hold in high esteem. If you end up at the receiving end of the actions I will be taking up in the next few days, I want you to know there is nothing personal but commitment and fervent desire to ensure that corruption is wiped out of the house and reforms that will restore the battered image of the house and take back the house to the Nigerian people are implemented.
“Consequent upon the above and before I proceed with the aggressive steps I intend to take, I hereby demand that if you have illegally taken or stolen any money meant for the running cost of your offices for the entire stay in the house, you should return it within one week to the clerk of the national assembly and for the purpose of clarity, I am referring to about N10 million you collect from tax payers monies monthly.
“The clerk will provide you with official account details, failure to which I will take necessary action to ensure that you return any money stolen and stand witness against you in case of prosecution.
“I have written to the Clerk of the National Assembly to stand by in anticipation. In the face of the revenue challenges and biting hardship the country is currently facing, there is no better time the country needs such money than now.
“In the case of the Presiding and Principal Officers, in addition to my demand in this letter which applies to them too, I have written them yesterday and gave them 72 hours ultimatum to make public the total amount they have received as running cost in their entire stay in the House, failure of which I will proceed with necessary legal action to compel them to make the total amount each of them have received public.
“There are other issues of monumental corruption in the House that I will be raising in the following weeks which we must all deal with, but first lets get done with this one.”
Jibrin was suspended on Wednesday after the house approved recommendations of the ethics committee after probing his alleged breach of lawmakers privileges arising from the budget padding allegations he levelled against Yakubu Dogara, the speaker, and four other principal officers.
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