By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem
Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has reiterated his earlier belief that the National Assembly is full of corrupt politicians.
The Owu High Chief who visited the State House to see President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday, said the ongoing budget padding scandal rocking the National Assembly is a confirmation of his assessment that Nigerian lawmakers are corrupt.
Former House Committee Chairman on Appropriation, Abdulmumin Jibrin recently accused Speaker, Yakubu Dogara and other principal officers of attempting to defraud the nation of several billions of naira by adding strange items to the 2016 Budget.
Calling on Nigerians to elect men of integrity into the legislature instead of the present calibre of persons, Obasanjo also advised the President to be “vigilant” and avoid signing things he shouldnt sign.
“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 now say that what has come out confirms what I said in the past, then you can say what I said in the past is what I will say now,” he said.
Obasanjo held that the issue on ground goes beyond investigation.
“Its 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 added.
On the essence of his visit to the State House, the former President told reporters that he had come to share the experience and messages he garnered from his recent trips to Liberia, Gambia and Seychelles with President Buhari.
“I am visiting this time because I have some messages for the President. 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 be update the President,” 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,” he noted.
