Budget Padding: Jibrin May Be Suspended And Jailed For Six Months

The former Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations, Abdulmumin Jibrin, risks six months in jail, suspension or a fine of N200 if convicted of allegations of misconduct.


Jibrin is currently being investigated by the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges for acts of misconduct following several public utterances considered to be targeted at bringing the leadership and members of the House to public ridicule.

The Ethics Committee began hearing into the matter on Friday with a testimony from the sponsor of the motion that led to the hearing, Emmanuel Orker-Jev.

Orker-Jev, in his testimony Jibrin’s utterances maligned and defamed the House, as well as incited members of the Nigerian public against the members.

He also said he was constrained to sponsor the motion after several of his colleagues approached him with evidence that Jibrin’s allegations not “only offended them, but also infringed on the integrity of the House as an institution.”

The lawmaker, had in his motion which was adopted by the House at plenary, accused Jibrin of several breaches of the privileges of the House of Representatives, members of the House, as well as provisions of the National Assembly Legislative Houses (powers and privileges) Act.

Orker-Jev tendered printed evidence of reported statements, where Jibrin accused the House of Representatives of corruption.

He cited some of Jibrin’s utterances as captured on the pages of newspapers to include: “As it stands today, these corrupt elements have infected the House, making the institution a hub of systemic corruption.

“I repeat, there is massive individual and systemic corruption in the House of Representatives. And all Nigerians have a responsibility to avail themselves of this rare opportunity to flush out corruption in the House.”

Orker-Jev explained that based on provisions of section 24 of the Legislative Powers Act, if found guilty, Jibrin is liable on conviction to “12 months in imprisonment or a fine of N200.”

This, he explained, is if the matter is handled by the Office of the Attorney-General but in the case of the House of Representatives, he could be suspended for six months.

In response to a question on whether there was a precedence, he cited the case of a former member, Patrick Ogbahiagbon, whom he explained was pardoned by his colleagues after he apologised for making disparaging remarks about the House in the media.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Committee, Ossai Ossai, promised that the committee would give all parties a fair hearing, noting that committee members were not out to intimidate anyone.