BUDGET PADDING:WHO IS FOOLING WHO?

According to dictionary.com,the word, "padding" means " something added unnecessarily or dishonestly, as verbiage to a speech or false charge to an expensive account". In this case it not a verbiage to a speech neither is it a cancellation to an academic research paper but a false addition to an already expensive account and the account here is the budget,as alledged. An average Nigerian in the street or a lay man in almost every nigerian home have always had an insinuation albeit without evidence that there has always been a varied inflation in budget and appropriation bills passed by the two arms of the Nigerian national assembly, the house of senate and the house of Representatives. Doubts, allegations of bribery, corruption and dishonesty have always been targeted at the floor of the house but these allegations, insinuations and thoughts all came to the fore in a very dramatic manner this past month. One revelation after the other have been unraveling from the national assembly ever since of their very own, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin who at the time was the chairman, house committee on appropriation with his ground breaking eye-opening revelation concerning the deep corruption and unprofessionalism that have been going on in the house of reps in recent times, roundly accusing the speaker, yakubu dogara and nine other principal officers in the house who are all allegedly his partners in crime-of "padding" the budget, inflating the money involved in budget implementation and adding irrelevant amount of money to their constituency projects that he said, they don't even get to execute ultimately. A case of using hard earned taxpayers money for their own selfish gains and lavish spending which I believe, is typical Nigerian politicians with the exception of just a very few who are generally very difficult to come by these days in light of the supposed economic hardship and crisis currently ravaging the country.

Exactly six weeks ago or therebout, the chairman, House committee on appropriation came out with his biggest revelation yet, laying at the feet of Mr yakubu dogara the allegation of corruption in the form of "padding" the budget with cooperation of his cohorts who also happen to be a clique of principal officers of the house. From that very fateful day till now more revelations keep unfolding and the last I believe, is yet to dawn on us. Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin accused dogara of interfering and meddling into his (Jibrin 's)  job of being the egg head of appropriation committee by "forcing" to insert into the budget some varied amount of money illegally into the budget. The amount of money needed to be disbursed to implement constituency projects for yakubu dogara Jibrin acclaimed was highly inflated and and also their some "ghost" projects being inserted into the budget by dogara that are totally non existent, and the problem is this has been going on for a while now. Abdulmumin Jibrin asserted he was being forced against his will to approve these illegal and scandalous budget, and that when he eventually kicked against this and backpedaled, the chairman house of reps had him removed from the post of this "juicy" committee and with immediate effect. This obviously didn't go down well with him hence he had no other option but to spit it all out, spill the beans and get it over with. And this he did and still doing with so much vigour and intensity, trying to make sure yakubu dogara ultimately go down for this-whether through impeachment or utter resignation - anyone will do. But I would like to ask just two questions from Abdulmumin Jibrin. These questions goes thus;
1. Of what intent is he doing all these, is it based on a good intention for the poor Nigerian masses or is this just the typical cry of a defeated he-goat?
2.Why did it take him this long to tell Nigerians?
The reason(s) for my asking these two but all-encompassing questions with be dealt with analytically ;in in-depth manner.

The first and only thing the honorable chairman, yakubu dogara said when he was questioned by the press pertaining these various brutal allegations was that nobody shud listen to Jibrin, that all of his allegations are false and are nothing but the foul cry of a loser that was just relieved of his role of a chairman. When further questioned to give reasons on why he thinks jibrin's allegations are mere foul cry he said he had nothing else to say to the media as at then. Jibrin almost immediately came out to debunk his accusation of foul cry against him and also went on to re-affirm the validity of his allegations against the chairman, house of reps and even provided substantial relevant written papers and documents to prove and back his case. From then on he has managed to convince majority of Nigerians on the insecerity of dogara and why he should step down for further investigations. It remains to be seen and confirmed whether this man is acting in the good interest of Nigerians, who have always prayed an hoped that one day, this country would be rid of corruption in every level of it.
But I still wonder why it took him so long to come up with this revelation, being that he has he been the chairman of a juicy committee in the form of the appropriation committee for the past eighteen months. Critics in the Nigerian media have labeled him as a sort of an angry goof, who became angry and rebellious because maybe his requests are not being granted anymore by his corrupt caucuses in the house. If not why did it take ages before he could "confess"  and admit to the ever existence of corruption in the house. The criticisms I believe, are constructive enough to make him have a self evaluation. Various investigations and probe we are being told have commenced or about to commence regarding this unfortunate events rocking the house of Representatives. Being that the both of Dogara and Jibrin are in same political party, efforts have been made to resolve this issue once and for all by the APC stakeholders and power brokers with some reports having it that Jibrin was asked to stop talking to the press and "washing their dirty linen in public". Abdulmumin Jibrin has so far continued to speak to the press and making more eye-catching revelations against the general integrity of the house, and this I believe is the right thing to do. So big kudos to him on that. No genuine and credible information that has the potential of affecting the general masses should be hidden from the press.

Various NGOs and groups in both home and abroad have called dorathy the immediate resignation pending the outcome of investigations, which is what is obtainable in the countries that do things the right way but because my dear country don't ever get things right, it has become a thing of impossibility for our public officers to take that noble option of resignation of no matter how grave their wrongdoing. That is the present reality of the kind of country we are living in right now. The country has decayed so deep and messy that one can commit murder in cold blood and still be our "honorable senator" ; this is pathetic to say the least. It is beyond an irony that a person of his calibre who is supposed to be championing "change" and the fight against corruption along the president is ultimately the one allegedly being the corrupt egg and the presidency and legislature can't do anything about it. God help us in this country. Did I just hear someone shout "AMEN"!


Exclusively written and edited by DANIEL IKECHUKWU EKWUNIFE, a social commentator and international affairs analyst.