A member of the House of Representatives, Nicholas Ossai, has stressed that there is no way an external body can launch an investigation into their activities because the House has its own mechanism of dealing with any issues.
Ossai, who is House Committee Chairman on Ethics, faulted calls for the investigation of Speaker of the House, Yakubu Dogara, and other lawmakers involved in the alleged budget padding scandal as alleged by former Chairman of House Appropriations Committee, Abdulmumin Jibrin.
Speaking with Premium Times on Friday on phone, Ossai said, “Anything done at plenary or premises of the House cannot be investigated by external bodies. The House can regulate itself using its rules and procedures.”
“Nigerians are yet to appreciate what the legislature is. We have mechanisms to discipline ourselves,” he added.
He explained that external investigation can only happen after the House Ethics Committee probe.
“In its report, it can recommend prosecution by relevant security or anti-graft agencies. The constitution gives the House the power to solve its problem,” he said.
Asked when the probe will commence, he said this would happen until it receives a petition from Jubrin against Dogara; his deputy, Yusuf Lasun; deputy majority leader, Ahassan Doguwa; and minority leader, Leo Ogor.
“We are waiting for petition and I know pages of newspapers are not petitions,” said Ossai.
“The ethics committee looks forward to receiving petition. No petition has been brought before the committee; the committee must receive petition before it dabbles into any issue,” he said.
“Petition formalises everything. Without recourse to letter that comes from the House (after it received petition), the ethics committee can move into and investigate the matter but it is better empowered if a petition is forwarded to it,” he pointed out.
Ossai faulted Jibrin’s claim that lawmakers “padded” the 2016 budget, but maintained that the budget was merely “amended”.
“In legislature, you don’t talk about padding,” Mr. Ossai said. “Budget is an appropriation bill and is like other bills that you amend. You know in bills you talk about clauses. Every head in the budget is a clause. So legislators have power to amend it.”
