Why I visited Buhari again- Obasanjo

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• published: 25 Jul 2016
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Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Monday said that recent happenings concerning the 2016 Budget scandal in the National Assembly have vindicated him. Obasanjo, who had earlier claimed that the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly were filled with armed robbers and rogues, had in January this year challenged Senate President Bukola Saraki and House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara to open the financial records of the National Assembly since 1999 to external bodies. The ex-President was on Monday reacting to the current budget padding accusation and counter accusation between the leadership of the House of Representatives and sacked Chairman of the House of Reps Appropriation Committee, Abdulmumin Jibrin. Jibrin, who was removed as the chairman of the committee last week, alleged on Sunday that the padding of the 2016 budget with N40 billion was done at a secret location with the backing of Dogara and three principal officers including Deputy Speaker Yusuff Lasun, House Whip Alhassan Ado Doguwa and Minority Leader Leo Ogor. Speaking with State House correspondents on whether he was worried about the issue of corruption in the National Assembly, after 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 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 disclosed that he was in the Villa to deliver some messages to the President. He 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 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. Asked further if he was considering slowing down, Obasanjo said: “May God never let you to slow down.”