Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Umar Ghali Na’Abba, has described former President Olusegun Obasanjo as “the most corrupt leader Nigeria has ever had.”
Na’Abba was responding to an earlier statement credited to Obasanjo, who alleged that all members of the National Assembly are corrupt and do not have integrity.
While fielding questions from journalist on Sunday, Na’Abba said. “Well, I don’t think there is any corrupt president like the former President Olusegun Obasanjo. I took him on, on various expenditure offenses, which he committed, and he did not show any remorse.
“In fact, that is why some time in 2002, the National Assembly tried to impeach him.
“So, he has not got the integrity to call anybody corrupt. This is a man who became the president with nothing, today he is one of the richest Nigerians. Let him explain to Nigerians how he acquired all these wealth,” Na’Abba said.
On the alleged sharing of money during tenure elongation to members of the NASS, the former Speaker said: “I am aware that, during the tenure elongation attempt by Obasanjo, money was shared to the members of the NASS. It was alleged that, the Senators collected N50 million, House of Representatives collected N40 million. But I also know that, it was not all the members that collected this money. Some of them collected, some of them did not. But, I am aware that money was shared.”
On the position of Speaker Dogara, that padding is not an offense, Na’Abba said: “Well, it all depends from what angle one is looking at it. The responsibility for appropriation in this country belongs to NASS. So there is no way that the NASS can vote anything and it will be called padding.”
He added: “If you are talking about padding, which I believe is generally accepted to be illegal, it must be a situation whereby certain members of the NASS will add certain items of expenditure behind their colleague. If any item of expenditure is added behind other members then that item can be said to be illegal and it can be called padding.”
•Photo shows Ex-President Obasanjo.
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