BEVERLY HILLS, October 1, (THEWILL) – A former Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin, has beckoned on Nigerians to wade into his ordeal and save him from suffering further humiliation from the leadership of the House.
Jibrin was suspended on Wednesday for breaching the privileges of members. He had accused the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, and other Principal Officers of padding the 2016 budget.
In a statement on Friday, the embattled lawmaker said it would be unfortunate if Nigerians failed to act as he was being persecuted for being a whistleblower.
“Here we are talking about the fight against corruption. Today, I’m being humiliated and my crime is simply exposing corruption in high places. Who will want to take such risk in future?” he asked.
Jibrin’s appeal for solidarity came a day after his office was sealed by the National Assembly security as his 180-day suspension commenced.
He blamed Dogara for the development, saying it was the latest in a series of dubious attempts by the Speaker and his cohort to destroy evidence.
According to him, “The office was purportedly sealed as a consequence of my illegal suspension.
“But the truth was that it was done to enable the Speaker lay hands and destroy evidence.”
The lawmaker said his security detail had seen a drawdown as part of Dogara’s alleged plans to silence him.
He called on Nigerians to keep the controversy on the front burner, insisting that the focus should be on the cases of budget fraud he uncovered.
