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Omisore Fingered in 2016 Budget Padding, Jibrin Alleges Alliance Between Him, Dogara

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By Segun Adeyemo

Embattled Senator Iyiola Omisore of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State has been linked to the controversial 2016 budget padding at the Federal House of Representatives.

It would be recalled that Omisore had reportedly told the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) when he was arrested and detained for his involvement in the diversion of the $2.1bn arms fund, that he could tell the anti-graft agency those who padded the budget.

Former Chairman of Appropriation Committee, Federal House of Representatives, Hon Abdulmumin Jibrin said in a letter directed to the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Oyegun that Omisore was involved in the budget padding.

Omisore is a former Senate Committee Chairman on Appropriation  at the 7th National Assembly when he was representing Osun East Senatorial District.

Jibrin alleged in the letter dated August 12, 2016 that there was an unholy alliance between Dogara and Omisore.

He said: “His godfather is Senator Iyiola Omisore. During the build up to the appointment of committee chairmen, I had a terrible disagreement with him (Dogara). While in London, before the appointment of committee chairmen, Jibrin claimed that Dogara “pleaded with me to join him at a house in London. I went and I saw him seated very comfortably with Senator Omisore. It was there he said he was going to appoint me as chairman, Appropriations and I should be reporting to Omisore

“I was completely shocked. A nice lunch was served; we ate and we left. At least, there are CCTVs in London. I confided in a highly-placed person who I wouldn’t want to mention his name. He advised me to remain calm and concentrate on my job. My refusal to comply with such questionable instructions largely accounted for the anger of Mr. Speaker towards me.

“It was much later that I realised that Senator Omisore had adopted Speaker Dogara as a godson since their days as Chairman Appropriations and House Services in the sixth Assembly respectively.”

The lawmaker urged the APC chairman to advise the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara to resign, maintaining that Dogara’s exit would enable the House “nominate a Speaker Pro Tempore and mobilise our members to support him to take over and adjourn the House until when we are due for resumption in September.”

He said: ‘This will give room for consultations on the election of a new Speaker when we resume.

“I also urged the party to discuss on the possibility of returning the N100 billion constituency component of the budget under any of our laws so that all stolen money can be returned, particularly the N40 billion naira and equitably distributed to all constituencies.”

Jibrin also accused Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal of not supporting his appointment as Appropriations Committee chairman.

Jibrin said Dogara was “more interested in telling me about the forces who didn’t want me to be appointed chairman, appropriations as if I cared. He mentioned former Speaker and present Governor of Sokoto State Aminu Waziri Tambuwal as one. That is how narrow-minded Dogara can be.”

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