As the National Assembly prepares to reconvene this week, the Special Investigation Panel probing budget padding allegations made by former Appropriation committee chairman, Hon Abdulmumuni Jibrin, is set to summon Speaker Yakubu Dogara again.
Dogara is to be summoned alongside other principal officers of the House of Representatives named in the scandal.
Punch reports that the investigation panel, headed by a retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Ali Amodu, had covered a lot of ground in its quest to unearth the culprits behind the alleged insertions N280bn into the 2016 budget.
Hon Jibrin had in a petition, asked the police to investigate the alleged padding of the budget by Dogara and other principal officers.
Those indicted by Jibrin included the Deputy Speaker, Mr. Lasun Yussuff; the Chief Whip, Mr. Alhassan Ado-Doguwa; and the Minority Leader, Mr. Leo Ogor.
Jibrin had earlier appeared before the police panel investigating his petition with documents to back up his allegations, but the speaker and others mentioned did not honour the police invitation.
A source within the investigation panel told Punch: “The fact is that the house officers, including the speaker, have no immunity against investigation or prosecution; anybody could be investigated including governors and the President.
“The immunity of the governors and the President does not preclude investigation. It only protects them while in office, but once they are out of office, they could be prosecuted.”
The investigation panel is said to also be determined to pressure the National Assembly Clerk, Mohammed Sani-Omolori, to submit the draft and final copies of the 2016 budget to it.
Jibrin’s allegations and campaign for the resignation of Dogara from his position as Speaker has set the stage for a possibly chaotic session when the House reconvenes on Tuesday.
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