Senator Shehu Sani (APC-Kaduna) has expressed support for the move by
\nEconomic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the alleged
\npadding of the 2016 budget.<\/p>\n
Sani, who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Foreign and Domestic Debts,
\nsaid this at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
It will be recalled that the EFCC commenced a formal investigation into
\nthe allegations.<\/p>\n
The anti-graft body requested the Ministry of Budget and National Planning
\nto provide a copy of the 2016 budget submitted to the National Assembly by
\nthe Presidency and the final copy returned by the National Assembly.<\/p>\n
Sani said that although the National Assembly has its internal mechanism
\nof addressing such a matter, the EFCC could also discharge its duties.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are independent organ of parliament, we have the right to investigate
\nissues that happen within National Assembly but we are also not a crime
\nenforcement agency.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe National Assembly can do its work and the anti- corruption body can
\ndo its work; there is nothing wrong in that.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe controversy in House of Representatives is getting Nigerians to be
\nmore conscious of what is happening in National Assembly.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to him, the Dogara-Abdulmumini \u201ccase is something, I believe,
\ngood for democracy in the sense that you must not use the National
\nAssembly as a ground for impoverishing other people.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI am elected and you are elected and now you tell me that you are going
\nto have more projects than I do, that is not going to work. In fact, the
\npublic coming to know what is happening in the National Assembly will help
\nthe new people like us who came in with fire-brand activism into the
\nplace.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, padding is a reality but if it is done within the agreement between
\nthe National Assembly and the executive arm; it falls within the line of
\nlegislative duty.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut if it was done for the sake of seeking advantage by the person who
\ndid it, then that is a crime.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Senator Shehu Sani (APC-Kaduna) has expressed support for the move by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the alleged padding of the 2016 budget. Sani, who is the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":44715,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-52383","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n