According to The Punch, investigations showed that some members were agitated by the development on Tuesday, October 4, forcing them to discuss it among themselves on the floor.
Jibrin had said on Sunday that members paid themselves up to N20m monthly, an amount that was way beyond their official N1m salary. “Between Sunday and this morning (Tuesday), members were bombarded with calls from people, mainly from their constituencies.
“Some rained abuses on them, while others demanded their share of the money. “They accuse lawmakers of deceiving them that they have no money, but are angry that they allegedly share between N10m and N20m every month,”one senior legislative official informed newsmen. Findings indicated that most members were “alarmed” over Jibrin’s fresh figures as they denied collecting such monthly funds.
A former Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Sports, Mrs. Ayo Omidiran, who could not contain her anger, raised a point of privilege, seeking for the matter to be discussed immediately. Although, Omidiran, a member of the All Progressives Congress from Osun State, did not mention Jibrin’s allegations when she raised her point of order, she made it clear that her privilege had been breached and called for an executive session.
“I am calling for an executive session; let us have an executive session now,” she told the Speaker, Mr Yakubu Dogara, after the floor was yielded to her.
But Dogara overruled her on the grounds that the procedure she adopted to call for an executive session was “strange” to the rules of the House. Dogara invited Omidiran to approach the chair to discuss her agitation privately. She reluctantly went to meet Dogara where she was seen gesticulating angrily. One source stated,
“She had been taken to task earlier on social media over the N10m claim by Jibrin. “She is angry because her denial did not convince her followers. That was why she wanted the matter discussed.”
Source : Punch.ng
