Budget padding is not an offence – Dogara

House of Representatives Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, has stated that budget padding is not an offence.

Dogara, said this yesterday after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential villa.

State House Correspondents accosted him and a chat ensued:

What informed your visit?

Dogara: Can’t I come and see my President? Do I need any reason to come and see my President? It’s a private visit.

Was the issue of alleged budget padding discussed?

Dogara: What is budget padding?

The language emanated from your chambers

Dogara: I don’t know, educate me. I am a lawyer and speaker and I have never heard of the word padding. What does padding mean?

The former chairman of the Appropriation Committee said you padded the budget

Dogara: Ask him. He who alleges must prove. That’s the law in Nigeria

Are you not going to defend yourself?

Dogara: Am I before a court?

There are people saying you should reconvene the House before the September resumption time and step aside for a thorough investigation

Dogara: We have rules and regulations. This is not a mock institution, we operate by the rules and we will follow the rules.

Will you resign?

Dogara: Resign for what?

These allegations.

Dogara: What are the allegations?

That you and some members of the leadership padded the budget.

Dogara: What is padding? You haven’t told me. Ask Jibrin what is padding. I studied law and I have been in the legislature and all this period I have never heard of the word padding being an offence under any law. If I don’t know, you are the media, research the law and let me know.

Are you worried?

Dogara: Worried for what? Worried over nothing, why should I be worried? As far as I am concerned I’m not worried about anything.

Will there be sanctions for Jibrin?

I am not the chairman of the Ethics Committee of the House, so I wouldn’t know and I don’t know what padding means.

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