DOGARA said this after a meeting with President MUHAMMADU BUHARI at the presidential villa last week.
But in a statement today by the Executive Director of SERAP, ADETOKUNBO MUMUNI the organization said that Budget padding fact is corruption.
MUMUNI said budget padding is implicit in corruption offences such as abuse of office, attempt to embezzle, divert, and misappropriate public funds, conspiracy to act corruptly, and illicit enrichment, which are recognized under the UN Convention against Corruption to which Nigeria is a state party.
SERAP says if DOGARA refuses to resign to allow for effective and transparent investigation and the allegations of budget padding are swept under the carpet, the ability of the House of Representatives to function as a watchdog and credible guardian of the public interest would be seriously compromised.
