The House of Representatives said on Tuesday that it would no longer respond to corruption allegations made against the National Assembly past times quondam President Olusegun Obasanjo.
It noted that its reply had already been “fully captured” inward a seat the House took inward 2016 that the quondam President remained the “grandfather of corruption inward Nigeria.”
The House spoke equally Obasanjo in i lawsuit to a greater extent than criticised the constituency projects of lawmakers, describing them equally “corruption.”
Obasanjo made his latest attacks inward Minna, the Niger State capital, on Mon where he addressed the opening of a two-day investment forum organised past times the Niger State Government.
The forum amongst the theme, “Impact of Investing for Advancing Agricultural Economy together with Innovation,” had several notable personalities inward attendance, including a quondam Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.) together with the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad-Abubakar III.
Obasanjo stated, “The Sultan talked nearly roads; I promise our lawmakers volition usage their seat together with human activeness positively together with thence that when they set inward route projects inward the budget, they volition non plow them into what they instantly term equally constituency projects?
“You together with I know what constituency projects mean. It is exactly corruption.”
However, reacting through its Chairman, Committee on Media together with Public Affairs, Mr. Abdulrazak Namdas, the House said attacking the National Assembly was Obasanjo’s pastime, a argue it took a seat inward 2016 to respond him “comprehensively together with unopen the chapter.”
Namdas stated, “We won’t respond to whatever corruption allegations past times Obasanjo against us anymore.
“We convey replied him plenty together with our seat remains what nosotros said earlier. It has non changed.
“I refer yous to our comprehensive seat on Obasanjo inward 2016. That is yet our position.”
Since leaving usage inward 2007, Obasanjo has consistently attacked the National Assembly, calling lawmakers names.
In Jan 2016, he wrote dissever letters to the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, together with the Speaker of the House, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, accusing lawmakers of beingness extravagant together with corrupt inward the confront of economical challenges inward the country.
In Nov of the same year, he called senators together with House of Representatives’ members “unarmed robbers” on the heels of the interruption of a quondam Chairman, House Committee on Appropriation, Mr. Abdulmumin Jibrin, over his budget padding allegations.
The quondam President had stated, “Once yous are a member, yous are co-opted together with your oral fissure is stuffed amongst rottenness together with corruption that yous cannot opt out, equally yous become domicile amongst non less than N15m inward a calendar month for a senator together with N10m a calendar month for a fellow member of the House of Representatives. The National Assembly is a den of corruption past times a gang of unarmed robbers.
“If the judiciary is beingness cleaned, what of the National Assembly, which stinks much to a greater extent than than the judiciary? Budget padding must non become unpunished.
“It is a reality, which is a regular together with systemic practice. Nobody should clit the wool over the eyes of Nigerians.”
But Namdas on Tuesday insisted that the House would non respond to Obsanjo’s latest attacks since Obasanjo remained the godfather of corruption inward Nigeria.
The House had added that a argue Obasanjo would never similar the members of the National Assembly was the fact that they foiled his tertiary term ambition inward 2007 subsequently taking his coin together with displayed it publicly to set him to shame.
The House defendant Obasanjo of oft churning out outright lies together with mischievous innuendos against the National Assembly.
The House’ Nov reply to Obasanjo read partly, “Undoubtedly, quondam President Obasanjo is understandably angry amongst the National Assembly equally an institution, having foiled his ambition for a tertiary term inward usage fifty-fifty subsequently trying to corrupt the members amongst a bribe of at to the lowest degree N50m each.
“Lest nosotros forget, the individual who introduced corruption to the National Assembly is Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. He birthed the fourth Republic National Assembly amongst corrupt practices from 24-hour interval one; indeed the get-go 24-hour interval of the Republic.
“He bribed the PDP, ANPP together with the AD legislators on their inauguration inward 1999 to vote against the bulk candidate of the PDP, (the late) MD Chuba Okadigbo. That was how Senator Evan Enwerem became the Senate President.
“Have nosotros forgotten the sacks of coin displayed on the flooring of the House of Representatives, beingness bribe coin paid past times Chief Olusegun Obasanjo to about honourable members to impeach the Rt. Hon. Speaker, Ghali N’abba?
“Have nosotros forgotten that Obasanjo used his seat equally President to extort businessmen together with contractors to create his presidential library?
“The listing of his corrupt acts spell inward usage is endless. Unquestionably, he is the greatest corrupt individual always to concur usage inward Nigeria. He remains the granddad of corruption inward Nigeria together with lacks the moral authorization to beak over corruption or abuse of usage inward Nigeria equally he remains the most corrupt Nigerian on record.”
PUNCH