Following the furore generated by the alleged padding of the 2016 budget proposal, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin has resigned his position.
The lawmaker told a press briefing on Wednesday that he took the decision after thorough consultation with his family.
Jibrin had been accused of allocating 20 projects worth N4.3b to his constituency without the consent of his committee members.
Furthermore, and leadership of the National Assembly appropriation committees was said to have cornered N40 billion worth of projects to themselves
without the consent or knowledge of other members.
Although some members had called for Jibrin's resignation at the time, he said that his decision to step down was a personal one.
"Whether I like it or not, I was the Chairman of Appropriations and my signature was on all the documents even though I know that I am not at fault.
“Of course we are all aware of a lot of issues that took place during the process of the 2016 budget. I have always maintained one position, that as the Chairman Appropriations, i did my very best. Until date, I have said that if anybody has anything that I have done that amounts to an abuse of my office, or amounts to an illegality, that it should be brought forward.
“I’ve said it severally, that I can be reported to the authorities or the relevant arm of government, or the internal disciplinary measure of the House. Should take its course. And as it is until date, nobody has raised any issue against me.
“And that has been the case even while I was Chairman Finance. For four years, I was chairman Finance and I executed my responsibility diligently and I left an unblemished record.
"There were a lot of “obstacles here and there “during the 2016 budget appropriation.
“Even if I’m not at fault, it’s only proper that I take the responsibility. I believe that the best thing I should do under the circumstances is to step aside so that the committee can move forward.”
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