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Tag: Appropriation Committee

  • Reps appropriation committee dissatisfied with agencies’ revenue projection

    Reps appropriation committee dissatisfied with agencies’ revenue projection

    The House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation has expressed dissatisfaction with the with the projected revenue targets of government owned enterprises for the 2024 fiscal year.

    Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Abubakar Bichi, on Friday during a resumed interactive session with GOEs.

    The interactive session was to discuss further areas where the country could find money to fund the 2024 budget.

    Bichi said, “The objective of this engagement is, among others, to provide highlights on some key issues in relation to the preparation, enactment, and implementation of the 2024 budget.”

    This was Committee Chairman summoned heads of GOEs including the Minister of Finance, FIRS, NUPRC, NCC, Comptroller General of Customs, NPA, NIMASA, Minister of State for Petroleum, and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) among others to appear in person on Monday 10am prompt.

    The committee had turned back representatives of CBN, Customs, FIRS, and demanded their heads to appear.

    According to him these revenue-generating agencies must generate funds because, without money, the president can perform magic to ensure the realization of the Renewed Hope Budget.

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    Though he described the 2024 as fantastic, he said money is needed to fund the budget.

    He said there were concerns about addressing the infrastructural gap in the country, eliminating poverty, and generally achieving the 8-Point Renewed Hope Agenda.

    He added that there was a need to ensure that all loose ends to revenue were tied.

    He said this could greatly impact the government’s ability to implement the 2024 Appropriation Bill when passed.

    “While the revised MTEF and FSP showed that revenue-generating efforts by the present administration are already yielding fruit, more needs to be done to ensure that government-owned enterprises optimize their revenue-generating potential,” he said.

    The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu, said, “Mr. President is ambitious, and he is very clear that Nigeria is not where it is; the revenue we collect is about 10 percent, and the president has directed that we raise it to 18 percent.”

    “We understand that the lawmakers are interested in how money is spent. You are also interested in how you can cooperate with the executive to ensure we take Nigeria to a greater height.”

    He said the 2024 proposal had increased spending, which included infrastructure and education, among others.

    According to him, “we also want to ensure that our manufacturing sector will worry less about demand than production. We have provided a total of N50 billion in student loans.”

    He said these were game-changing moves, which are a product of legislation, adding that “all of us must work together to ensure we interrogate the revenue-generating agencies.

    “We need a budget that can be trusted. We don’t have money; we are looking for money, so that is why we need to interrogate the revenue-generating agencies.”

  • Report of 2019 Lagos Budget laid before Assembly by appropriation committee

    THE Appropriation Committee of the Lagos State House of Assembly has laid its report on the 2019 Budget before the House at plenary.

    Also laid before the House after the resumption from two-month recess was the report on the bill to amend the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps Law by the Chairman, House Committee on Information, Security and Strategy, Adefunmilayo Tejuoso.

    Both reports were laid before the House at plenary yesterday after the lawmakers resumed sitting.

    The Appropriation Committee had earlier scrutinised the budget estimate of Ministries, Departments and Agencies in readiness for eventual passage of the budget.

    Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, last February, laid the 2019 Budget before the Assembly, in line with the provision of the constitution.

    The bill was eventually committed to the Appropriation Committee for closer consideration and necessary legislative duties before final recommendation by the committee to the entire House for passage.

    However, various standing House committees have performed their oversight on the MDAs budgets in fulfillment of the process of budget consideration.

    Presenting the report, Appropriation Committee Chairman Gbolahan Yishawu, representing Eti-Osa Constituency I, said the committee had the mandate of the leadership of the House to thoroughly scrutinise the budget estimates of MDAs without prejudice or compromise to make sure that probity, transparency and accountability remain front-burner that would propel the 2019 budget to achieve optimum performance and consequently impact on the lives of all Lagosians.

    According to him, Lagosians deserve the best infrastructure and other socio-economic growth that any performing budget could achieve, hence the need for the committee to painstakingly peruse, observe and do justice on estimates submitted by the MDAs.

    He affirmed that the mandate of the committee is clear on the 2019 budget consideration, which was to achieve greatness and make life meaningful for the people of Lagos State.

  • Nigeria recorded N1.1tr IGR shortfall in 2016, says DG budget

    Nigeria recorded N1.1tr IGR shortfall in 2016, says DG budget

    …CBN director walked out of session

     

    Nigeria recorded a shortfall of N1.1 trillion in projected Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in 2016 fiscal year, Director General, Budget Office, Ben Akabueze, told the National Assembly Thursday.

    Akabueze who gave the figure at a joint session of the Appropriation Committee of the Senate and House of Representatives, said that the country was only able to realise N398.335 billion out of projected N1.506 trillion IGR.

    He explained that the huge shortfall of N1.1trillion which should have been part of the funding cost accounted for the low 55 per cent capital release.

    The sum of N1.58 trillion was ear marked for capital budget in 2016.

    Akabueze also put statutory transfers fully cash-backed at N361 billion.

    The N1.3 trillion budgeted for debt serving was released, cash-backed and paid in full.

    Chairman of the Joint Committee, Senator Mohammed Danjuma Goje, said that the session became necessary for relevant officials, including the Minister of Finance, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Accountant General of the Federation, DG Budget Office to brief Nigerians on the actual performance of the 2016 budget

    Senator Goje noted that the officials should specifically tell Nigerians what was appropriated, what was approved by the National Assembly, what was released and how much was cash-backed.

    The Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) Ahmed Idris, on his own put total capital releases at N870.55 billion while personnel cost was N239.68 trillion.

    Senator Goje demanded the percentage releases otherwise the figures given would be misleading.

    The committee said that not only the percentage releases but the amount cash-backed should be disclosed.

    On why the country recorded low level of 55 per cent capital release, Akabueze said that funding of the capital component of the 2016 budget was affected by low inflow of fund including fall in oil revenue.

    The DG budget office parried the question on whether loans collected by the country were used to finance personnel cost and overhead.

    Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, told the committee that though there were financial challenges, the highest releases went to infrastructure MDAs in line with the priority of government.

    She added that the target of government was that by the end of the fiscal year in May, a minimum of N1trillion would have been spent on capital budget.

    A mild drama had ensued at the beginning of the session when the committee walked out the representative of the CBN Governor, Mohammed El-Yakubu, an acting director in the apex bank.

    Before El-Yakubu was asked to leave the venue Senator Goje said: “We want to put it on record that we put aside other things we had to do for this session because of its importance to Nigerians. We invited the CBN Governor but he is not here.

    “The CBN Governor has no reason not to be here. He did not send any deputy governor to represent him. I don’t think the acting director here has the capacity to represent the CBN Governor. The Minister of Budget and National Planning called me directly to say that he would accompany the Acting President to Akwa Ibom State.”

  • House suspension: Court to hear Jibrin’s suit October 21

    House suspension: Court to hear Jibrin’s suit October 21

    A Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed October 21 for hearing of the suit by suspended former Chairman, Appropriation Committee, House of Representatives, Abdulmumin Jibrin.

    Jibrin, from Kano State, is, with the suit, challenging his suspension from the House. A committee of the House of Reps. On October 28 suspended him for 180 legislative days.

    His lawyer, Abdulhamid Muhammed told the court Friday that the House elected to suspend his client in spite of the pendency of his suit filed August 9, 2016 with which he had originally, sought to restrain the House of Rep leadership from proceeding with the plan to suspend him.

    The case which could not be heard during the court’s vacation by Justice Okon Abang, has since been assigned to Justice John Tsoho.

    Muhammed said, by suspending his client, the House has “over-reached” his client’s motion filed before the court for orders of interim injunction restraining the House from carrying out the suspension.

    He proceeded to withdraw his client’s fundamental rights enforcement application on the grounds that it was overtaken by events.

    Justice Tsoho said since the court’s business Friday was for the mention of the case, it was safer to adjourn to a later date for the hearing of all pending motions.

    Besides the processes filed by Jibrin, other motions awaiting the court’s hearing is the preliminary objection by the defendants challenging the court’s jurisdiction to hear the case.

    Defendants’ lawyer,  Kalu Onuoha said he was confortable with the court’s position.

    Defendants in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/595/2016 are:The House of Representatives, the Clerk of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, Yusuf Lasun, Alhassan Ado Doguwa, Leo Ogor, Herman Hembe, Umar Mohammed Bago, Zakari Mohammed, Chike Okafor, Dan Asuquo, Jagaba Adms, Haliru Jika and Uzoma Abonta.

    Jibrin, in the substantive suit, seeks among others, a declaration that the defendants are bound to comply with the provisions of sections 49, 54, 56 and 60 of the 1999 Constitution and the Standing Orders of the House of Reps, regulating its sitting, procedure and other matters in the conduct of its legislative functions as provided in the Constitution and the Standing Orders made pursuant to the Constitution.

    He also wants the court to declaration that the decision taken by the defendants at a meeting held on August 3, 2016 to suspend the plaintiff as a member of the House of Reps without granting him the right to fair hearing is unlawful.

  • Budget padding: Why Dogara, others are after me –  Jibrin

    Budget padding: Why Dogara, others are after me –  Jibrin

    Former Chairman, Appropriation Committee, House of Representatives, Abdulmumin Jibrin disclosed Thursday why the House’s Speaker, Yakubu Dogara and other principal officers of the lower legislative chamber were bent on expelling him.

    Jibrin said he attracted the wrath of the House’s leadership when, as Chairman of the Appropriation Committee he rejected alleged proposals by Dogara and others to corner about N90billion to themselves from the 2016 budget.

    He made this claim in a fresh document he filed before the Federal High Court, Abuja in furtherance of his suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS:595/2016, seeking to among others, restrain the House’s leadership from suspending him from the House.

    Defendants in the suit are the House of Representatives, the Clerk of the House of Representatives, Dogara, Yusuf Lasun (Deputy Speaker), Alhassan Ado Doguwa, Leo Ogor, Herman Hembe, Umar Mohammed Bago, Zakari Mohammed, Chike Okafor, Dan Asuquo, Jagaba Adms, Haliru Jika and Uzoma Abonta.

    In the document filed yesterday, Jibrin, an All Progressives Congress legislator, representing Kiru/Bebeji Federal Constituency of Kano State, said he had some conflicts with the House’s leadership because he rejected their unlawful directives.

    He said, in the document – a counter affidavit – deposed to on his behalf by one of his lawyers, Nura Abdulrrahman that one of such instances was his “refusal to admit into the nation’s 2016 budget the sum of about N30b.

    “His refusal to cover up the decision of the 3rd to 14th defendants’ (Dogara and others’) unilateral decision to allocate to themselves N40b out of the N100b allocated to the entire National Assembly, in addition to what he (Jibrin) considered as wasteful projects of over N20b to the 3rd – 14th defendants’ constituencies.

    “Even when he (Jibrin) had given the defendants/respondents, especially the 3rd (Dogara) statistics of 2000 new projects introduced into the Appropriation Bill by less than 10 committee members, the 3rd defendant took no decision or corrective.

    “When the inflation of the said budget became a matter of public interest and controversy, the defendant, especially the 3rd -14th started taking measures to avoid responsibility and to place the entire issue on the shoulders of the plaintiff so as to use him (Jibrin) as a scapegoat,” Abdulrrahman said in the counter affidavit filed in response to the defendants’ notice of preliminary objection.

    Jibrin denied claim by Dogara that he (the plaintiff) was removed as the Chair of the House’s Appropriation Committee. He said he voluntarily resigned his position and informed Dogara to that effect on July 20, 2016.

    As against the defendants’ claim in their objection that they were no planning to suspend Jibrin, and that the House did not intend to reconvene before the end of its vacation, Jibrin stated that Dogara and others were plotting to reopen the House and suspend him.

    He urged the court to proceed to determine his case. And grant all his reliefs, which include a declaration that the decision taken by the defendants at a meeting held on August 3, 2016 to suspend the plaintiff as a member of the House of Reps without granting him the right to fair hearing is unlawful.

    He also seeks a declaration that the defendants are bound to comply with the provisions of sections 49, 54, 56 and 60 of the 199 Constitution and the Standing Orders of the House of Reps, regulating its sitting, procedure and other matters in the conduct of its legislative functions as provided in the Constitution and the Standing Orders made pursuant to the Constitution.

    Dogara and others have, in the notice of preliminary objection they filed on Tuesday, urged the court to decline jurisdiction to hear the case and strike it out on the grounds that the suit disclosed “no reasonable cause of action.”

    The Clerk, Appropriation Committee of the House of Representatives, Dr. Abel Ochigbo faulted Jibrin’s claims and stated that there was no plan to suspend him and that no meeting has been held to that effect.

    Ochigbo, who deposed to the affidavit supporting the defendants’ objection, stated that all that were done during the process leading to the passage of the budget was within the law. He added that since the budget has become law, nobody could query the steps taken by the law makers.

    “The 2016 Appropriation Act was duly passed by the National Assembly and assented to by the President of the federal Republic of Nigeria. The issue of any officer of the House taking any decisive action against any particular member or members does not arise as the Appropriation Bill has now become the Appropriation Act.

    “The issue of inflation of the 2016 budget does not arise as the Appropriation Bill was passed by the House of Representatives pursuant to powers vested in the House by the Constitution and in line with the Standing Orders of the House.

    “The Bill was duly certified pursuant to the provisions of the Acts Authentication Act before it was duly assented to by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and it is now being executed as an Act of the National Assembly.”

    Yesterday plaintiff’s lawyer, Abdulamid Mohammed informed the court that the defendants served him with their objection on Wednesday and that he has filed a response. He sought a short stand down of proceedings to enable him retrieve a copy of his response from the court’s Registry.

    Defendants’ lawyer, Kalu Onuoha objected to Mohammed’s request for a stand-down. He sought an adjournment to enable him study the plaintiff’s response and decide whether or not to equally respond.

    Trial judge, Justice Okon Abang noted that since it would be impossible for the court to conclude hearing in the case before the end of the court’s long vacation (September 9) it was unnecessary to commence hearing in the case during vacation.

    Justice Abang, who currently sits as the court’s vacation judge, elected to return the case file to the Chief Judge for reassignment after vacation.

     

  • Budget padding: Committee Chairman dares Jibrin

    Budget padding: Committee Chairman dares Jibrin

    One of the Chairmen of House of Representatives Committees alleged to have padded the 2016 budget with 2000 fictitious projects worth N284b, Zakari Mohammed has denied being involved in the scam.

    While challenging the former Chairman, Appropriation Committee, Abdulmumin Jibrin to make good his threat of petitioning anti-graft agencies, Mohammed noted that Jibrin is a sinking politician looking for who to drag down with him.

    Jibrin had alleged Mohammed, who is the Chairman, Committee on Basic Education and nine others of padding the budget with 2000 fictitious projects worth N284b.

    In a statement Monday, Mohammed explained that having known the kind of person Jibrin is, he (Mohammed) ensured that he avoided Jibrin and his antics during the 2016 budget preparation period.

    The Basic Education Committee Chairman also said he was unaware of padding in budget preparation for five years he has been the House of Representatives.

    The statement reads: “Ordinarily, I would have ignored his face-saving tweets but the fact that he is deceptively carrying many Nigerians along makes it imperative to protect my hard-earned integrity and about 10 years of unblemished career in as a political office holders.

    “Prior to joining politics, I had worked as a civil servant for 14 years with outstanding records. I cannot allow a desperado, who is also a gold digger, to rubbish my impeccable integrity.

    “I have not spoken or had personal contact with Jibrin since November 2015 because I have always had reservations on his conduct and over rated personality; he held every member in contempt and arrogated usurped powers to himself.

    “He was so overwhelmed by his ambition to drag me into his plot to the extent that he referred to me as the chairman of the House Committee on higher education because of his orchestrated mission against me.

    “I wish to place on record that throughout the period of consideration of the 2016 Appropriation Act, I did not meet or write Jibrin for assistance to include any item or project in my constituency not even when he sent Hon. Muktar Betera, chairman defence to some of us to write via our letter heads requesting for assistance from him.

    “Instead, I concentrated on my job as the Chairman of the House Committee on Basic Education. The proposals for Basic Education were easier in treating because the enabling Act of UBEC is explicit on how it should be funded. I want him to produce any of my write ups in my letter head to the public.

    “Our submission on the 2016 budget was a product of our committee’s relentless work, in conjunction with the Senate Committee on Basic Education.

    “I challenge Jibrin to point out the specific areas that our committee fell short of its duties.

    “I have no file with EFCC or its allied agency but the same cannot be said of the former Appropriation Committee chairman. Nigerians should therefore disregard his accusations because they are as a result of frustration of his removal.

    “As for Jibrin’s formal report to the EFCC, I am more than ready to appear before any agency or anywhere to prove my innocence. I have no skeletons in my cupboard.”

    On budget padding, Mohammed said it was a strange phenomenon, adding,  “What a sitting President brings to the National Assembly, according to Section 80(1) and (2) of the  1999 Constitution is an estimate which the Legislature is expected to consider and assist the Executive in reviewing appropriations for its plans and projects for the country for the fiscal year.

    “Jibrin should look elsewhere for his prey. I was a public servant first for 14yrs before taking political appointments  in 2002 as a Special Assistant, Commissioner for Sports and later Commissioner for Energy in Kwara State, including pioneering the first football academy in nigeria as chairman of the board and that of the state football team in my home state.my track records are clear and above board.

    “On getting to the National Assembly in 2011, I chaired the  sensitive media and public affairs committee and I was never found wanting in all aspects of my duties, financially or otherwise.

    “I went this far to let the sadistic Abdulmumin Jibrin know that as a student of government I have built a reputation on credible  slate without cutting corners. This assignment cannot be an exception because I have a family name and a lineage which is symbolized by diligence and  not riches at all costs.”