Re: Who is blackmailing Dogara?

My attention has been drawn to a letter to the editor, published on 9th August, 2016, page 43 of Daily Trust, titled “Who is blackmailing Dogara?” by Isyaku Garba. It seems Isyaku Garba is a loyalist to the speaker. However, it is ludicrous to say that budget padding is not a crime or an offence […]

My attention has been drawn to a letter to the editor, published on 9th August, 2016, page 43 of Daily Trust, titled “Who is blackmailing Dogara?” by Isyaku Garba. It seems Isyaku Garba is a loyalist to the speaker.
However, it is ludicrous to say that budget padding is not a crime or an offence under Nigerian law because “padding” refers to defrauding by adding false items to (an expenses, claim, budget or bill). Section 80(4) of the 1999 constitution empowers the lawmakers to make necessary adjustments to budget, but inserting false or deceptive projects or embezzlement of projects funds in budget is absolutely gigantic crime and ingenious corruption from Nigerian legislature since 1999.
Now, we must differentiate between adjustment, padding and embezzlement as the word padding is associated with a logical corruption, in which the funds of inserted projects in budgets by legislature divert to their accounts or pockets before their implementation; while an adjustment refers to maintaining federal character by adding, subtracting and adjusting in line with the constitutional role. Even the three members of the Transparency Group in the House were convinced that the speaker padded the budget. The three members-Bashir, Agunsoye Oluwarotin-Ojo and Abubakar Chika-Adamu – in a joint statement in Abuja two days ago said, “While the entire zonal intervention for the three senatorial districts of Bauchi state amounts to N1,666,666,666, the speaker criminally inserted about 200% of the amount, totaling N3,079, 000,000 into his constituency alone. Is this not a crime or unbelievable corruption? The three members added that the speakers also diverted 50% of the total capital projects allocated to Bauchi state, to the tune of N4,781,003,431 out of N9,231,289,842 allocated to the state, to his constituency. Is this also not a crime and unutterable corruption?
Again, loyalist governors to the speakers have been blocking Jibrin from meeting with President Buhari over the issue. Despite this, the speaker’s loyalists have also protested that what Dogara has done in the budget is just an adjustment. Nevertheless, we need an explanation on whether inserting false amount of funds in the budget or diversion of 50% of the three senatorial district projects to the speaker’s constituency is part of the adjustment.
It is vital for Isyaku Garba to know that there is no anything good in padding because it involves systematic corruption. What are recommended to legislatures in the budget are adjustments not padding.
You stated that even in the US and other democratic countries budget padding occurs, but what you may not know is the legislatures of those countries do not plot to embezzle budget funds or divert the 50% of projects meant for 12 constituencies to their own constituency or farm. The padding in budget has been there in legislatures since 1999 up to date, it is unfortunate that the loyalists of the speaker had forgotten that there is no sacred cow in anti-corruption war of this era of change.
Mustapha Baba, Azare, Bauchi State, [email protected]