Former Speaker of the House Representatives, Ghali Umar
Na’aba, has said that former President, Olusegun Obasanjo remains the most
corrupt Nigerian leader. He added that Obasanjo had no moral right to criticize
anyone assumed to be corrupt.
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| Ghali Umar Na’aba |
The former speaker said the former president lacked the
moral integrity to describe the National Assembly members corrupt individuals.
“I don’t think there is anybody more corrupt in this country
like the former President. As the Speaker, I took Obasanjo on several issues of
expenditure offences which he committed and could not show remorse. “So, I don’t think he has the integrity to call anybody in
the NASS corrupt. This is the man who became President with nothing and today
he is one of the richest Nigerians, let him explain to Nigerians how he
acquired the money.
”On his planned tenure elongation, I am aware that some
monies was given to the national assembly members both the House of
Representatives and the Senate. “It was alleged that the Senators got 50 million each while
40 million was given to the House of Representatives members, some collected
and some did not collect. But I am aware that money was distributed by
Obasanjo,” he stated.
On the alleged padding, Na’abba said he expected that for 16
years of return to democracy, Nigerians would have understood the
responsibilities of the National Assembly. “For some weeks now, there has been controversy over what is
called padding. As far as I am concerned, the National Assembly has the
responsibility to pass the budget, approve it and allow the executive arm to
execute it.
“According to my understanding, where the issue being
referred to as padding comes into play is a situation where some members go
behind and add items of expenditure to what has already been agreed upon, for
either stealing the funds or doing whatever they feel like doing with it. “But, this stealing of fund cannot be possible without the
active connivance with some members of the executive arm. “So far, accusations are being traded amongst members of the
House. No investigation has been conducted.
“On the call for the resignation of the Speaker, the
question is, what has the Speaker done to warrant his resignation?” He
queried.
On whether padding was an offence, he said, “It all depends
from what angle you look at it, I just told you that the responsibility of
appropriation belongs to the national assembly.
“If padding is seen as an offence, it is when some members
of the National Assembly decide to add items of expenditure through the back
door after the budget has been passed by both houses. It, therefore, behoves on
Nigerians to decide who represents them in the national assembly”.
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