The Punch reports that there are strong insinuations that President Buhari must have ordered the Department of State Services (DSS) and police, to probe the budget padding scandal rocking the House of Representatives. Reports say the DSS recently locked the secretariat of the House committee on appropriation. A source in the government who spoke to Punch, said:
“Security agencies have received the backing of the President to probe the allegation. The President has said that there is no sacred cow in the fight against corruption. You know he is close to Dogara, but he will not stop the security agencies from investigating anybody.”
Reports also say the DSS is using the documents presented as evidence by the former Chairman of the House of Representatives Appropriation Committee, Abdulmumin Jibrin,as a basis to wade into the matter. According to Punch, Buhari will not interfere in the investigations, though he is said to be very close to the House Speaker,Yakubu Dogara.
When asked about the budget padding scandal and the President’s involvement, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, said the issue will not come up in Buhari’s administration again. Reports also said Jibrin has gone into hiding since he levelled fraud allegations against Dogara and other principal officers of the House of Representatives.
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has also called on Dogara to step down and allow theEconomic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)properly investigate the budget padding scandal.