Buhari, Obasanjo

Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo on Monday advised President  Muhammadu Buhari to always be vigilant, saying that the recent 2016 Budget scandal in the National Assembly had vindicated him.

The former President who was in presidential villa to deliver  messages from the Presidents of Liberia and Gambia to President Muhammadu Buhari made this known while answering questions from State House correspondents  on Monday.

Obasanjo had in January challenged the National Assembly to open the financial records of the Senate and the House of Representatives since 1999 to external bodies.

The former president expressed concern over the current budget padding accusation and counter-accusation between the leadership of the House of Representatives and the former Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation, Abdulmumin Jibrin.

On whether he wanted investigation into the issue of padding of the budget, he said: “It’s not question of investigation, we should get men and women of integrity in the place and the President should be very vigilant, whatever should not pass should not pass.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Jibrin, who was removed as the chairman of the committee last week, had accused the leadership of the House of padding the 2016 budget to the tune of N40 billion.

He alleged that the padding was done at a secret location with the backing of the Speaker and three principal officers including Deputy Speaker Yusuff Lasun, House Whip Alhassan Ado Doguwa and Minority Leader Leo Ogor.

Some supporters of the Speaker in the House of Representatives in turn accused the aggrieved member of padding the 2016 budget with billions of naira.

Although the former president did not divulge the content of the message, he said he updated president Buhari on the outcome of the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Africa Export-Import Bank, which he attended in Seychelles Island.

`I have some messages for the president.

“Not too long ago, I was in Liberia and The Gambia and the presidents of these two countries had some messages that they would want me to deliver to the President.

“Also, only yesterday I came back from Seychelles Island, where I attended this year’s Annual General meeting of Africa Export –Import Bank.

“And there were aspects of the proceedings during that meeting that I think I should update the President on.’’