Alleged budget padding:Nigerian lawmakers are thieves - Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo today said the allegations of budget padding by Speaker Yakubu and thirteen other members of the House of Representatives shows that the lawmakers are thieves and have proven his comments in 2012 when he described the National Assembly as an institution filled with rogues and armed robbers. Speaking in a telephone interview with Premiumtimes, Obasanjo said President Buhari should not release funds for the constituency projects of the lawmakers. 

"That is criminal and they should be held accountable for it. There should be a showdown between what is right and what is wrong. After such a showdown, what is right will definitely prevail and the criminals will be put to shame. They are the contractors, the jury, the judge and prosecutors. 

They put the projects in the budgets and they do the projects by themselves or through contractors they nominate. Where is integrity? Where is honesty? Who supervises the job? Who ascertains that the job has been done? It is not in their place to execute projects. It is illegal. They are thieves. I have always held the view that they are thieves, can you all see it now?” he said