There are indications that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commissions has invited some permanent secretaries and directors of finance over investigations into the budget padding allegations in the House of Representatives.
Inner room learnt on Saturday that apart from the invitation of the civil servants, both the commission and the police team, which were separately investigating the allegations, were extending their probes to the seventh House of Representatives.
It was learnt that the two agencies were set to invite principal officers in the seventh House, including a former Deputy Speaker, Mr. Emeka Ihedioha, and an ex-Majority Leader, Mrs. Mulikat Akande-Adeola.
A top security source, who confided in inner room , confirmed that the EFCC had invited some permanent secretaries and directors of finance in connection with the investigations.
A source in the commission also stated, “Our investigations are being extended to the seventh House because from our discoveries, the padding did not start with the current House.
“There was also padding in the 2014 and 2015 budgets. Former principal officers, including Ihedioha and Akande-Adeola will be invited to tell us what they know. We are going to recover all funds not legally spent. I am aware that the police will do the same.”
We are ready for investigations — Ex-House leaders
Former principal officers of the House of Representatives, who served in the 7th Assembly, said they had nothing to hide and would respond promptly to any invitation by the police and the EFCC. The officers said they would furnish the police with useful information.
Speaking to inner room , the Chief Whip in the 7th Assembly, Mr. Ishaka Bawa, said the former principal officers were ready “any day” to honour the invitation of the security agencies.
Bawa, described Jibrin, who wrote petitions against the Speaker of the House, Yakubu Dogara, as a legislator with a “shallow understanding of budget processes.”
Also speaking, the Deputy Minority Leader in the 7th Assembly, Mr. Abdulrahman Kawu-Sumaila, said the former principal officers would honour police invitation.
Kawu-Sumaila, who is the current Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on National Assembly Matters ( House of Reps), hails from Kano State, same as Jibrin.
A former Deputy Minority Whip, Mr. Garba Dhatti, said he was not bothered by Jibrin’s allegations because he knew they were all intended to give him cover from possible criminal charges that might be raised against him, following his sacking.
Former House Leader, Mulikat Akande-Adeola, did not respond to enquiries by inner room .
The current Minority Leader, Mr. Leo Ogor, who was the deputy majority leader in the 7th Assembly, told Inner room that he would “no longer react to issues about Jibrin’s allegations.”
Jibrin, who was also the Chairman of the Appropriation Committee in the Seventh House, is under investigations submitted to the EFCC by a group known as the Anti-Corruption Unit of National Youth Council of Nigeria.
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