Budget padding: EFCC secretly probing Dogara
- The budget padding scandal rocking the House of Representatives is yet to die down
- Report has it that the EFCC has begun secretly investigating Yakubu Dogara
- The agency has invited some finance directors of federal ministries and agencies for interrogation
There are indications that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has commenced discreet investigation into allegations of “budget padding” levelled against the speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, and other principal officers.
The Cable reports that finance directors of federal ministries and agencies have been invited by the anti-graft agency as part of the investigation.
They are to appear before the agency with the details of their draft budgets and what was finally approved by the national assembly.
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According to one of those invited, they will be appearing before the agency on different days of the week.
The House of Representatives has been enmeshed in a budget padding scandal after Abdulmumin Jibrin, former chairman of the house committee on appropriation raised the alarm in July.
Jibrin was sacked on July 20, and after his removal, he began to accuse Dogara and other principal officers of the house of padding the budget by illegally inserting about N450bn into the 2016 budget.
On August 1, he submitted petitions to the EFCC, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Department of State Services (DSS), calling on them to investigate the speaker.
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On Friday, August 5, Dogara met with President Muhammadu Buhari over the budget padding scandal.
Speaking after the meeting, he told newsmen that budget padding is not an offence, vowing not to resign from office despite growing calls on him to do so.
Jibrin has vowed to not to give up his cause until justice is served. On Wednesday, August 31, he met with the presidential advisory committee on anti-corruption for more than three hours.
Source: Legit.ng
