Rep Member, Ibrahim Baba Threatens Constituent Over ‘Budget Padding’
The last may have not been heard over the recently signed Appropriations Bill by the President of the federal republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari. The President had charged that the lawmakers at the National Assembly had tampered with the proposed Appropriations Bill forwarded to them for review and approval. Before signing the Bill into law, the President claimed the lawmakers tampered with the content of the said Bill.
To this extent, youths of Katagum local government area of Bauchi State who had followed the developments around Appropriation Bill took up the courage to inquire from their House of Representative member representing the Katagum LGA constituency regarding his role in the said alteration of the Appropriation Bill.
According to information made available to 247ureports.com, the youths of Katagun led by one law school student, Mukhtar Muhammad MK, began organizing themselves to stage a question and answer session with the lawmaker or stage a protest against the lawmaker. Through the planning stages, Mukhtar had used Facebook to reach out to youths.
Interesting, the Facebook posts alerted the lawmaker of the planned protest. In a kneejerk fashion, the lawmaker called Mukhtar using the mobile phone number 0803 062 0441. The lawmaker, Ibrahim Mohd Baba, according to Mukhtar, rained abuses and threaten to deal with him should he not step away from the planned protest. The lawmaker also demanded that Mukhtar pull down all Facebook postings related to the planned protest. But Mukhtar stayed politely defiant.
Hon. Ibrahim Mohammad Baba seats as the deputy chairman of the house committee of Public Accounts. The youth group of his constituency were interested to hear of the reasons behind his silence over the recent insertions into the Appropriations Bill. The youth group claimed that many of the programs originally contained in the Bill would have benefited the youths of Katagum LGA only if the lawmakers would have not removed them – to selfishly insert personal pork projects for themselves.
In talking with Mukhtar, he explained to 247ureports.com that Hon. Baba shouted at him on the phone for a good 30minutes – telling him of his qualifications and how Mukhtar was a little non entity. “I will make sure I deal with you and each you a lesson you will never forget”. The lawmaker went on to add, “do you know who I am, go and ask about me”.
With minutes after dropping the call, the lawmaker called again demanding for the location of the youth leader. He insisted that the youth leader provide his location. The youth leader, sensing foul play, refused to disclose his location and dropped the call. Other calls with different mobile numbers began reaching the phones of Mukhtar – each requesting for his location.
The youth leader indicates that the fear tactic will not stop the planned protest. “We will carry on”.
Meanwhile, the lawmaker’s whereabouts is said to be unknown. He claims to be presently in Katagum but town officials indicate he has not been to Katagum for over a month. “He did not come to town after the 700 shops were burnt and he was not in town when Buhari visited to commensurate with the victims” said one of the traditional rulers in Bauchi State. “We have information, he is in Belgium attending to his private business”.
247ureports.com reached out to Hon. Ibrahim Mohammad Baba for comments. He failed to respond.
