EFCC Begins Probe Of Jibrin’s Allocations Over Constituency Projects

Hmmmm!!!....Equity!

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) may have commenced investigations into alleged fraud and diversion of monies allocated for

constituency projects in Bebeji/Kiru Federal Constituency of Kano State in the 2014 and 2015 Appropriation Acts by the erstwhile chairman of the House of Representatives on appropriation, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin. Jibrin, a second timer, was Chairman of the Committee on Finance in the 7th Assembly under the leadership of Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.

Sunday Telegraph learnt that the EFCC is looking into the allegations, part of them being the findings from the House leadership, which allegedly led to the removal of Jibrin as Appropriation committee chairman on July 20, 2016. A source at the EFCC said the findings of the House and some petitions from some non-governmental organisations prompted the investigations, which is on-going.

“The EFCC is investigating alleged diversion of funds meant for constituency projects through the award of fictitious and questionable contracts, particularly in the 2014 and 2015 budget.

“I cannot confirm now that fraud has been established so far but the allegations are being probed and appropriate actions would be taken if there is substantial evidence to prove that Jibrin actually abused his office,” he told our correspondent. The House had disclosed, through its spokesman, Hon. Abdulrazaq Namdas, that Jibrin was sacked because of his “misconduct and abuse of the budgetary process, among others.”

Namdas also hinted that Jibrin’s alleged fraud as chairman of the House Committee on Finance during the 7th Assembly was being compiled by the leadership and would be forwarded to the anti-graft agencies for necessary actions.

Namdas said: “The leadership was also in receipt of complaints about his activities as Chair of Finance Committee in the 7th Assembly, which had potentials to embarrass the House because of his current position as Chair of the Appropriations Committee.

“Investigations found that from 2011 – 2015, Hon Abdulmumin domiciled with Hadejia – Jama’are River Basin Authority and few other MDAs, some of the allocations meant for his former Finance Committee members, some of whom are still members of the 8th Assembly.

He was alleged to have aided the use of front companies that collected funds without executing most of the projects.”

He further disclosed that: “The projects have been compiled and will at the appropriate time be referred to the anti-graft agencies to establish why the projects were fully paid for and not executed, who collected the funds and why Hon Abdulmumin has not raised the alarm about the non-execution of the projects even now?”

When contacted yesterday to confirm if the House leadership had submitted its findings against Jibrin to the anti-corruption agencies, Namdas said based on the directive of the APC that all parties in the budget padding allegations should ceasefire, he was constrained to comment on what actions the House has taken on Jibrin.

He said when the House reconvenes later this month, it will make public the actions it has taken and some of the decisions it intends to take on the issue of Jibrin. Meanwhile, Jibrin is said to be deeply troubled by the investigation instituted against him.

An APC stalwart who confirm the story to Sunday Telegraph said he had counselled him to reconsider his steps in his on-going campaign. He said, “When they called to talk to him to desist from destroying himself politically, he ended up bursting into tears.

“Even when he appeared before the APC at the national headquarters, at a point he stopped talking and suddenly started crying.

We were confused and all we could do was to counsel him. “But we were shocked that as soon as he came out of the meeting with us, he went to speak to the media.” Only last Thursday, Jibrin met with the Presidential Advisory Committee on Anti-corruption in furtherance of his acclaimed anti-corruption crusade to expose corruption in the National Assembly.

-New Telegraph