Budget padding: Court declines to hear Jibrin’s case

the case instituted by the former Chairman, Appropriation Committee,   House of Representatives, Abdulmumini  Jibrin   suffered a setback, yesterday, as the Federal High Court in Abuja, refused to hear the suit he filed for the enforcement of his fundamental human rights.
Jibrin had approached the court, last Friday, praying it to shield him from being arrested or interrogated over the allegations he levied against Speaker Yakubu Dogara and twelve other members that the 2016 budget was padded with about N40billion.
Read more>>
Counsels to Jibrin, led by Mohammed Abdulhamid and Chukwuma Nwachukwu, told the court that Jibrin’s colleagues were plotting to implicate and make him “a scapegoat” after he revealed how N40bn out of N100bn allocated to the entire National Assembly, was diverted.
Joined as respondents in the suit are the Speaker, his Deputy, Yusuf Lasun, the Chief Whip, Alhassan Doguwa and the Minority Leader, Leo Ogor. Others are the Nigeria Police, the Inspector General, the Commissioner of Police for the FCT and the Attorney-General of the Federation.
But yesterday, vacation judge, Justice Okon Abang, refused to hear the suit, saying that Jibrin ought to have obtained leave that would enable the court to hear his matter during vacation.  “A matter filed during court vacation is not heard as a matter of cause,” he said.

Comments