As the controversy over the 2016 budget continues, former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, on Monday, July 25, maintained that the recent scandal over budget padding in the National Assembly, has vindicated him.
Recall, that Obasanjo had earlier stated that the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly, were filled with armed robbers and rogues.
In January 2016, Obasanjo had challenged the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and the House of Representatives Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, to open the financial records of the National Assembly, since 1999, for external audit.
Obasanjo, was reacting to the current budget padding allegations and counter-allegations, between the leadership of the House of Representatives and the sacked Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation, Honourable Abdulmumin Jibrin.
Speaking with State House correspondents on whether he was worried about the issue of corruption in the National Assembly, after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, Obasanjo said: “Well, if you said that I have said it in the past, and if there are people who didn’t believe what I said in the past, then you can now see that what has come out, confirms what I said in the past. Then what I said in the past is what I will say now.
Asked if he wanted investigation into the issue of padding of the budget, he said:
“It’s not a 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”, he stated.
On his reasons for visiting the President, Obasanjo said: “Not too long ago, I was in Liberia and Gambia, and I have messages these two countries will 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 the Africa Export Development Bank. And there are aspects of the proceedings that I think I should update the President,” he added.On whether he is enjoying all the travelling, he said: “Travelling is a good education, what you will learn about a country by visiting that country for two or three days, you won’t learn by reading through books.
When asked if he was considering slowing down, Obasanjo said: “May God never let you to slow down”.
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