Plain security operatives have taken over the Secretariat of the House Committee on Appropriations.
Abdulmumin Jibrin’s official office located at Room 1.05 New Building, was also placed under surveillance by another security agent, seen hovering around the office when Legislative Correspondents attended the emergency press briefing initiated by the new chairman, House Committee on Appropriations, Mustapha Dawaki (APC-Kano) on Saturday.
Efforts by Abel Ochigbo, Clerk of the Committee who was accompanied by Legislative Correspondents to the Secretariat to have first hand information on the status of the equipment allegedly charted away by the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara in response to Jibrin’s allegation.
Jibrin had on Thursday accused the Speaker of charting away computers and other sensitive materials from the Secretariat in the bid to stall investigation of alleged padding of the 2016 budget.
Dogara’s team had on Friday denied the allegation leveled against him that restrictions were placed on the Secretariat by two security agents.
But on arrival at the Secretariat, the Clerk and the Media team waited for over 30 minutes, urged the Clerk to seek clearance “from the above”, when he sought for reasons behind the presence of the operatives at the entrance of the Secretariat.
The clearance did not come until the secretariat’s staff left.
Speaking earlier at a press briefing, Dawaki argued that no item was missing or carted away from the Committee’s Secretariat.
Speaker Yakubu Dogara, Deputy Speaker, Yussuff Lasun, Whip Alhassan Doguwa and Minority Leader, Leo Ogor were alleged to be involved in the padding.
However contrary to the claims of the Chairman, the Clerk and his staff were denied access to the office by two plain – clothed security men believed from the Presidency.
At a press briefing yesterday evening, Dawaki read a 29th July 2016 letter from the Clerk of the Committee, Abel Ochigbo to the acting Clerk, House of Representatives, Mohammed-Omolori and the Chairman of the Appropriation Committee.
Dawaki, while reading the letter signed by Ochigbo said “The Secretariat is intact and has not been threatened anyway. All records are also intact and safe – both software and hardware.
“In addition, no staff in the secretariat of the committee has been subjected to any form of threat, intimidation or harassment from any quarter whatsoever,” Dawaki observed.
On a second thought, the Clerk went back to inquire where the officers were from because they were not instructed by the National Assembly Sergeant-at – Arms.
While responding to questions, Dawaki declined response to the question on the $20,000 allegedly given to Chris Azubogu and some members of the Appropriations Committee.
He also jettison question on the allegations that the Deputy Chairman of the Committee, visited Jibrin during the budget preparation period where he was offered his favourite food wheat and vegetables soup.
While responding to purported invitation by the Nigeria Police, Dawaki said: “I am not aware of any invitation from the police and I cannot answer any question that is not in relation to what I have delivered here now. I am not aware that the sergeant-at-arms were given instructions to seal up the secretariat.
“What I heard from the secretariat, nobody denied them access to the secretariat, they were in the secretariat this morning, nobody harassed them.”
