Monday 1 August 2016

SGF, Gbajabiamila In N2.8bn Budget Padding Row As Tinubu Works Behind The Scene To Shield His Preotege


SGF, Gbajabiamila In N2.8bn Budget Padding Row As Tinubu Works Behind The Scene To Shield His Preotege
As the padding controversy in the House of Reps continues to deepens, investigation has shown that one of the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leaders, Bola Tinubu, has been working round the clock to distance his protégé in the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, House Majority Leader, and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, from the scandal.

The Whistler learnt that it was no coincidence that since the scandal broke out, the House Leader has not been mentioned by the main accuser, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin, former chairman, House Committee on Appropriations, but he has accused all other principal officers including Speaker Yakubu Dogara.

A source in the House of Reps, who asked not to be named, said Jibrin has been promised soft landing if Gbajabiamila is left out of his allegation and will be rewarded if the House Leader is able to gain the Speakership once the “tidal wave of the budget padding scandal sweeps the present leadership away,” the source said.

According to the House source, Tinubu has waited for the opportune time to hit back at Dogara for defying the APC’s directive by emerging Speaker over and above his preferred candidate, Gbajabiamila.

“Is it not curious that since this matter broke out, the House leader’s name has not being mentioned once though he was in the thick of the budgeting process?

“It may interest you to know that so many government officials like the SGF will be caught in this budget padding scandal because the House leader was used to incorporate projects on his behalf and others.”

Documents obtained by The Whistler showed that the House Leader was allocated over N2.8 billion constituency projects with most located in Osun state, Surulere federal constituency, Lagos state, and Niger state.

Most of the projects are to be funded from the Office of the SGF. For instance, 13 projects from the House Leader’s office are meant for Osun state costing over N650million with the funds drawn mainly from the Ministry of Agriculture.

Projects to be funded from the SGF’s office include N200million construction of solar streetlight Wards G, G1, G2, G3, E, E1, F, F1, F2 and F3 in Surulere1 Federal constituency of Lagos state.

Other projects domiciled in the House Leader’s office drawing funds from the SGF’s office include; supply of 5Nos Toyota Hiace buses, N50million; 14Nos Kia Rio and 7 Kia Serato cars, N50million; supply of 100Nos of chest freezers, N24million, supply of mobile toilets N40million amongst other supplies. All for Surulere 1 federal constituency.

The House Leader’s office also inserted projects for Kontagora and Wushishi federal constituencies valued at N100million. The projects are for ICT, hairdressing and barbing salon, tailoring/knitting, borehole/surface tanks, generator house for 60kva, security post and perimeter fencing for an undisclosed location, as well as supply of motorcycles.


The Whistler

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