Under fire Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara has taken a stand on the 2016 budget padding scandal which he says he was never a part of.
The Speaker who has been accused on several occasions of padding the 2016 budget by the ex-chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation Abdulmumin Jibrin, said that the budget was in no way padded and he also stated that he never made any claims to be above the law.
“I wish to reiterate that no Kobo belonging to Nigerians has been misappropriated, stolen or lost in this budget saga,” Dogara said on Saturday through his official Twitter account. “I wish to state clearly that there was no act of corruption by me during and/or after the preparation of the 2016 budget.” he added.
He also addressed rumors that he’d said that he could not be prosecuted as a lawmaker and was above the law stating that he never said such.
“I am not above the law, and I would never imply that I cannot be investigated by security agencies or tried by our courts.”
Dogara concluded saying, “I further wish to deny any and all other allegations of a personal nature against me. They are fictional and scandalous untruths.
“I wish to appeal to the Nigerian public for patience as the truth which will vindicate the innocent in this saga will unfold soon.”