How Saraki, Dogara, National assembly management stole N10billion meant for Aides

The wave of corruption and impunity in the national assembly is escalating
despite President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti corruption war as the leadership
and management are currently embroiled in fresh a N10billion scandal.
The N10 billion meant for payment of Duty Tour Allowance (DTA) and
severance benefits for hundreds of legislative aides who served in the 7th
assembly have been misappropriated with part of it already diverted into
private pockets.
It was learnt that the management led by the Clerk of the National
assembly, Mr. Salisu Maikasuwa and his cronies led by Mr. Bukoye Lasisi,
secretary of the finance and accounts committee connived together and
diverted the money into other unapproved purposes once it was released by
the Ministry of Finance.
Part of the money was also said to have been lodged in some commercial
banks to generate interests meant for sharing by the top bureaucrats.
It was also gathered that the top bureaucrats were able to perpetuate the
misappropriation and stealing with the connivance of senate president
Saraki and Speaker, House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara.
Sources told Pointblanknews.com that the management convinced the national
assembly leadership to look the other because their interests were
“carried along” in the misappropriation and illegal sharing of the funds.
It will be recalled that President Buhari had included the sum of
N10billion meant to pay the aides in the 2015 supplementary budget which
was passed by the lawmakers and signed into law.
The money was released by the ministry of finance shortly after subsidy
claims which was the main reason for the supplementary budget, were paid
to assuage the crunching petrol scarcity biting the nation at the time.
It was also gathered that the severance claims  in question actually
amounted to about N7billion but the national assembly padded the figure to
N10billion to “take care of themselves and some interests in the
leadership.”
While the disengaged aides continue to wallow in frustration and
hypertension the leadership and management of the national assembly have
been offering excuses upon excuses why the DTA and severance has not been
paid.
“At a time they even lied that the ministry of finance had not released
the funds only for us to investigate and found out it was a lie,” said a
source.
Checks revealed that the aggrieved aides are putting finishing touches to
a petition to be forwarded to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC) on the matter.
They are also making moves to reach out to President Buhari to investigate
the massive corruption and impunity going on in the national assembly for
years on end.
Meanwhile, senators and members of the House of Representatives who the
suffering aides served have since been paid their severance gratuities
once their tenure expired.