The Speaker, House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, has asked the sacked Chairman, Appropriation Committee of the House, Mr. Abdulmumin Jibrin, to retract alleged defamatory publications against his person and tender an unreserved apology within seven days.
Dogara, who made this demand through his lawyers, Prof. Joash Ojo (SAN) and Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), said Jibrin should be ready for a legal battle if he refused to publish the retraction and the apology in prominent print and electronic media within the seven-day ultimatum.
Part of Dogara’s letter to Jibrin reads,
“The attention of our client has been drawn to a libellous press statement you issued on Monday, July 25, 2016, which was made available to members of the press (print and electronic media) titled, ‘THE CORRUPT SPEAKER YAKUBU DOGARA AND HIS 3-MAN CABAL.’
“In the said publication, you published words to the following effect concerning our client and three other principal members of the House of Representatives:
‘Honourable colleagues and fellow Nigerians, I wish to make further revelations.
‘Speaker Yakubu Dogara and his senior cabal, namely Deputy Speaker, Lasun; Whip, Doguwa; and Minority Leader, Ogor; has (sic) promoted corruption so badly in the House that if President Muhammadu Buhari with his disdain for corruption and corrupt people has the slightest idea, he will ban the QUARTET permanently from the Villa before they eventually allow for proper and unbiased investigation by the House.
‘Mr. Speaker and Deputy Speaker Yussuff Lasun diverted millions of naira, all in the name of paying for guest houses and official residences. The issue became so messy that the deputy speaker openly accused Hon. Herman Hembe of short-changing them of millions of naira in the deal to the shock of many honourable members.’’
The lengthy letter also quoted Jibrin’s budget padding allegations of N40bn; N30bn and N20bn.
It added,
“By the said publication and without putting to the public any shred of evidence, our client is portrayed as a criminal, corrupt, dishonest, fraudulent, dishonourable and unfit to hold the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives.“Consequently, we consider your publication on the matter as not only libellous but made in bad faith; an act of vendetta, owing to your recent removal as the Chairman of House Committee on Appropriation.“Sequel to the above, we have to request you to submit immediately to us a clear and unqualified apology and retraction of the publication in an equally conspicuous position in all the print and electronic media where the publication appeared.
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