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  • Release El-Zakzaky protesters storm National Assembly

    Release El-Zakzaky protesters storm National Assembly

    Hundreds of members of the Shiite Islamic Movement of Nigeria, (IMN), Thursday stormed the National Assembly to protest the continued incarceration of their leader, Ibraheem El-Zakzaky by the Federal Government.

    El-Zakzaky was arrested in Kaduna in December 2015 after some members of his group were killed by soldiers for allegedly blocking the Kaduna-Zaria road.

    The IMN members were also accused of plotting to kill the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai.

    IMN promptly denied the accusation tagging it a ploy to justify the killing of over 300 of its members by soldiers.

    The protesters who gathered at the National Assembly gate were led by the secretary of the academic forum in Nigeria, Abdullahi Musa.

    The protesters said that they came to the National Assembly to ascertain the position of the Senate on the continued detention of El-Zakzaky, their leader.

    Musa told reporters, “This is the third time we are coming here. We submitted a lot of documents to the National Assembly but we are yet to get any response.

    “We submitted the third batch of documents Thursday and we came here today to hear from them.”

    Musa noted that although the Federal Government claimed that El-Zakzaky was kept in protective custody, members of IMN believed that government did not tell the truth.

    He said, “We do not believe in the so called protective custody. We want him freed so that he can go for his treatment. They have inflicted several injuries on him. What we ask for is that justice should prevail.”

    “They killed our member and government has been silent. We want to know what their position is.”

    Musa said that members of the movement would continue the protest until their leader was released.

    Police Divisional Crimes Officer at the National Assembly, Mr. Frances Anebi, who addressed the protesters, asked them to conduct themselves peacefully.

    On November 14, 2016 eight members of the movement were reported killed in Kano.

    A police sergeant was also said to have been dead when the police attempted to break a protest mounted by members of the movement.

  • FEC approves transmission of 2017 budget estimate to National Assembly

    FEC approves transmission of 2017 budget estimate to National Assembly

    The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the 2017 budget proposal for transmission to the National Assembly.

    Minister of Budget and National Planning Udoma Udo Udoma told reporters after the FEC meeting yesterday that the approved document would soon be presented to the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari after consultation with the leadership of the Assembly.

    “The budget has been approved by the Federal Executive Council. The details, of course, will be revealed when the President presents it to the National Assembly.

     “With regard to the date, the President will be communicating with the National Assembly and, of course, it will be at the National Assembly’s discretion ultimately.

     “So, the President will write to them and it is after they confirm, then the president can come to address them,’’ he said.

    Udo-Udoma defended the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) which the Senate has criticised as a poor document, saying it was prepared after extensive consultation with stakeholders.

     He said his ministry would continue to ensure regular briefing on the state of the 2016 budget implementation, saying that 80 per cent of the capital allocation of the budget had been released.

     The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, said the council had approved the construction of Federal Secretariat Complex in Ekiti State.

     According to him, the council has also approved the furnishing of the Federal Secretariat in Gombe State.

     He said the Council also approved the Business case for the concession of some Small Hydro dams to achieve Incremental Power supply across the country, adding that the small hydro dams would be adequately utilized.

  • FEC approves 2017 Budget proposal

    FEC approves 2017 Budget proposal

    Approval of the 2017 budget proposal and its onward submission to the National Assembly was given by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday

    The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Mr Udoma Udo Udoma, made this known when he briefed State House correspondents on the outcome of the FEC meeting.

    The meeting was presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    He stated that the approved document would soon be presented to the National Assembly by President Buhari after consultations with the leadership of the Assembly.

    “The budget has been approved by the Federal Executive Council, the details off course, will be revealed when the President presents the budget to the National Assembly.

    “With regard to the date, the President will be communicating with the National Assembly and off course, it will be at the National Assembly’s discretion ultimately.

    “So, the president will write to them and it is after they confirm, then the president can come to address them,’’ he said.

    On the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), the minister stated that the document was prepared after extensive consultation with stakeholders.

    He stated that his ministry would continue to ensure regular briefing on the state of the 2016 budget implementation, saying that 80 per cent of the capital allocation of the budget had been released.

    The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, who also addressed correspondents, disclosed that the council had approved the construction of Federal Secretariat Complex in Ekiti State.

    According to him, the council has also approved the furnishing of the Federal Secretariat in Gombe State.

    He said the Council also approved the Business case for the concession of some Small Hydro dams to achieve Incremental Power supply across the country, adding that the small hydro dams would be adequately utilized.

    “The other matter we considered, off course, was in furtherance of our Incremental Power Initiative and our Rural Electrification Initiative and this was in respect to small hydro dams.

    “This can help us get more energy, especially to rural areas to support farming; to support irrigation; to support water supply and off course rural electrification.

    “So, Council approved the Business Case for concessioning and development of Ikere Goji dam (Oyo) for 6 megawatts of electricity, Bakolori dam (Zamfara) for 3.2megawatts of electricity; and Jibiya dam (Katsina State) for 4megawatt.

    “Zobe dam 0.2 megawatts and Kpape Omi in Kogi dam for 2 megawatts of electricity and Doma dam (Nasarawa) for 1 megawatt of hydroelectricity,’’ he said.

    Fashole said that the small hydro dams would be utilised to further the nation’s quest for incremental energy in the area of renewable energy as “hydroelectricity is also clean energy’’.

  • Creative Industry: Lai Mohammed okays bills for National Assembly

    Creative Industry: Lai Mohammed okays bills for National Assembly

    In its bid to re-position the creative sector for auditable structure and optimal returns, the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture has made ready, three Bills, which it will be presenting to the National Assembly.
    The Minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, disclosed this in Abuja on Thursday, when he received officials of the Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) in his office.
    Mohammed said: “We are putting three Bills before the National Assembly. The first is the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA); the second is Motion Picture Council of Nigeria (MOPICON), because we believe that we must create that enabling environment for the creative industry, and the third is the Bill for the Establishment of the Tourism Development Fund.”
    According to Minister, who spent the better part of last week meeting with stakeholders in the art and entertainment industry at the National Theatre, Lagos, noted the current situation under which artists access funds at high interest rates for their production is not encouraging. To stem this, he assured that the enactment of the NEA will open new vista of opportunity for players in the industry to access funds that will enhance their performance.
    He emphasized that MOPICON, on the other hand, will provide a self-regulatory framework to guide and standardise the activities of the nation’s movie industry, while the Tourism Development Fund will held in providing funds for training and project development, among others.
    The Minister identified piracy as the biggest challenge facing the creative industry and advised COSON to partner with other stakeholders in the industry to form a Task Force that will work along with the government to check the menace of pirates.
    On the issue of payment of royalty on music being played by government-owned broadcast stations, the Minister insisted that the existing agreement between COSON and the broadcasters should be respected for the mutual benefit of both parties.
    Touching on the issue of Private Copy Levy which Collective Management Organisations are clamouring for, the Minister, while acknowledging that the Levy will guard against the infringement of intellectual property right, insisted the law has to be reviewed to conform to current realities.
    “Yes, it is correct that Section 28 of the Law provides for it. You are also right to say that in Year 2012, the Attorney General actually signed the document but unfortunately there are issues that we all need to sit down together to resolve before the Private Copy Levy Law can even be implemented. One which we all agreed is that when this law was signed, the level of technology is not what it is today. If you want to implement that law, you are going to run into a lot of challenges.
    “My advice is that we should look at that law and see whether we are going to amend it to take care of the challenges of technology, otherwise we will not be able to implement it,” he said.
    Chairman of COSON, Chief Tony Okoroji expressed confidence in the present administration’s political will to implement policies that will protect the intellectual property of the artists.
    Also at the meeting were the Directors General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Mr. Kawu Modibbo; his counterpart at the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Mallam Yakub Ibn Mohammed and the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Mr. Mansur Liman.

  • Legislative aide slumps at National Assembly

    Legislative aide slumps at National Assembly

    A Senior legislative aide Mr. Abubakar Sanni Doki supposedly documented as an employee under the office of the Deputy Speaker, Yussuff Lasun, died yesterday within the grounds of the National Assembly.
    The legislative aide, who slumped at the National Assembly, was said to have been rushed to the National Assembly Clinic,  where he eventually died in spite of efforts by the medical staff to revive him.
    There was however confusion yesterday as to who was the principal of the late legislative Aide as the office of the Deputy Speaker denied that Doki was ever documented under the Deputy Speaker.
    The Chief Press Secretary to the  Deputy Speaker, Wole Oladimeji, denied that the late aide was documented as a worker in the Office of the Deputy Speaker. According to him, it was Doki’s junior brother that was documented under the Deputy Speaker’s office.
    Incidentally, he said both brothers worked in the office of Ibrahim Babangida, (APC Katsina), who is the Chairman, House Committee on Finance.
    The late Doki worked as a Special Assistant to Babangida, Oladimeji said.
    However, a source from Babangida’s office insisted that the late Doki was a Senior Legislative Aide in the office of the Deputy Speaker, but was Bababangida’s childhood friend.
    Though the NASS clinic could not speak specifically of the cause of the aide’s death, it was mainly suspected to be a heart attack.

  • Legislative Aide dies at National Assembly complex

    A Senior Legislative Assistant with the National Assembly, Mr Abubakar Doki on Monday collapsed and died in the National Assembly premises.

    The deceased who was said to be in his early 50, was until his death, a Senior Legislative Aide (SLA) attached to the office of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yussuf Lasun.

    The deceased was said to have taken ill at the early hours of Monday and was brought to the National Assembly clinic.

    However, on getting to the Assembly clinic, he was told his condition was beyond what the clinic facilities could handle and was referred to seek treatment outside.

    The deceased, brought to the‎ clinic by his son whose name could not be ascertained as at the time of filing this report, collapsed on his way out of the National Assembly complex.

    This prompted security operatives including the National Assembly Sergeant-At-Arm personnel and bystanders to rush to the scene.

    However, their effort at alerting medical personnel from the clinic in an attempt to resuscitate him proved abortive as he immediately gave up.

    A senior Medical Staff with the Assembly clinic who spoke under condition of anonymity said “the deceased came to the clinic for treatment but had to be referred since his condition was already critical.’’

    Asked what the nature of the ailment was, the source said it could not be ascertained since there was no diagnosis done on him to verify the nature of his condition.

    According to her, sick members of staff who cannot access treatment at the clinic due to the complexity of their cases usually come for referral notes to government hospitals outside.

    The late Doki, a native of Bungudu in Zamfara State, was according to National Assembly records employed under the office of the Deputy Speaker as a Senior Legislative Aide.

    It was also disclosed that he was a childhood friend of a ranking member of the House and Chairman, House Committee on Finance, Rep. Babangida Ibrahim, (APC-Katsina).

    Attempts by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent to get Rep.‎ Ibrahim to comment on the development were unsuccessful as his mobile lines were switched off.

  • Senate frowns at high rate of medical negligence

    The Senate Thursday decried the high rate of medical negligence and non-compliance with the National Health Act in the country.

    The upper chamber of the National Assembly said it would hold a stakeholders’ forum tagged ‘First Nigerian Medical Law Summit” to tackle the problem.

    The Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Senator Olanrewaju Tejuoso, told reporters the forum was necessitated by the increasing petitions against medical institutions and personnel.

    He said, “The Nigerian Medical Law Summit is a one-day retreat organised for chief medical directors of public and private hospitals and heads of professional health associations.

    “The ‘medicolegal’ retreat is crucial as a result of the constant increase in allegations of medical malpractice and medical negligence claims from public and private hospitals all over Nigeria.

    “The summit is necessary due to the high level of non-compliance with the National Health Act by Nigerian health facilities and professionals.

    “The summit is aimed at positioning the leadership of the Nigerian health system on how to prevent medical malpractice claims and legal liabilities.”

  • Reps to Obasanjo: You’re grandfather of corruption

    Reps to Obasanjo: You’re grandfather of corruption

    …Says he’s angry with NASS over Third Term

    The House of Representatives Thursday lambasted former President Olusegun Obasanjo over his statement that the National Assembly stinks.

    The lawmakers described him as the “grandfather of Corruption,” adding that he wants to bring down Buhari’s government and that he is “acting as lifetime opposition leader, blackmailer,”

    The former President while delivering a lecture at the first Akintola Williams Annual Lecture in Lagos on Wednesday had said the “National Assembly stinks and stinks to high heavens. It needs to be purged.”

    He also accused the Parliament of corruption and of operating a cabal “worse than any cabal that anybody may find anywhere in our national governance system at any time.”

    In a Press Conference by Hon. Abdulrazak Namdas, Chairman, House Committee on Media & Publicity Thursday the Green Chamber spared no invective as it also said Obasanjo introduced corruption to National Assembly on its first day in 1999.

    His words: “Our attention has been drawn to a statement credited to former President Olusegun Obasanjo at a lecture he delivered recently, wherein, in his characteristic manner accused everybody but himself of corruption.

    “He ventured to accuse the National Assembly of Budget padding, accused the House of criminal activities of threatening the life of a “whistleblower”, lampooned constituency projects which he approved as President, ventured to discuss the budget of National Assembly which is highly underfunded?

    In the speech Namdas said the House would ordinarily not join issues with the former President as he has held an office that deserves respect and reverence.

    “However, because of the material misstatement of facts, outright lies and falsehoods, and mischievous innuendo introduced in his statement, we are left with no option but to correct him.

    “We have repeatedly maintained that there was no “padding” of the 2016 Appropriation Act, which is a legitimate document passed by the National Assembly, authenticated by the Clerk to the National Assembly as provided in the Acts Authentication Act and assented to by Mr. President. It is most unfortunate that a former President of Chief Obasanjo’s stature would allow himself to be hoodwinked and procured by a renegade member of the House, who embarked on massive propaganda and lies just because he was removed from office.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, there is no crime that was committed by the National Assembly by exercising its constitutional function of appropriation. If Chief Obasanjo has an issue with the execution of the 2016 Budget or indeed other Appropriation Acts, he should direct his anger elsewhere.

    “He claimed that the National Assembly Budget is very high, when by all standards, the National Assembly is grossly underfunded and is hampered from effectively and legitimately carrying out its constitutionally assigned functions. The National Assembly Budget funds a bureaucracy of about 5,000 civil servants. It has some other agencies under its preview such as the National Assembly Service Commission with its own staff of about 500; even the Public Complaints Commission is now a parastatal of the National Assembly.

    “National Assembly Budget also funds the National Institute for Legislative Studies, which is a legislative think-tank and highly rated academic institution that serves both National and State Houses of Assembly and even international legislators. All these agencies also have their capital budget including development of their headquarters, procurement of office equipment, procurement of regular items for running their offices; the National Assembly maintain legislative aides of about 3,000 in number, that aid the work of the Assembly; it also conducts regular public hearings involving the media and stakeholders and oversight activities, involving huge sums of money.

    “The cost implication of running the National Assembly is high because of the nature of our Presidential democracy. Then of course, there are 109 Senators and 360 members of the House of Representatives that require proper equipment to function effectively. They require adequate travel and transport support to carry out legislative functions. The National Assembly also has buildings and offices to build and maintain. National Assembly staff and members attend conferences, trainings, seminars to keep abreast of legislative developments worldwide. The activities are very encompassing and expensive.

    “It is also unbecoming of a former President to quote figures of sums of money that are factually incorrect. No member of the House of Representatives receives N10m every month. The salaries and allowances of members of the House are as determined by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC). Of course further sums of money are spent as running costs, that is, the cost of running the office of a member.

    “If a Minister, Chief Executive or Director in a Ministry travels on official duties, for instance, do you include the cost of his ticket and accommodation as part of his salary or allowances? Does the cost of stationeries and maintenance of equipment like computers used in their offices, form part of their salaries and allowances?

    “These are some of the costs that must be taken care of by the National Assembly and the media calls these costs “jumbo pay”. For goodness sake, the National Assembly is an arm of government, not just an ordinary agency of government.”

    The Reps Spokesman said Budget of many agencies in the Executive Branch are indeed higher than the current Budget of the National Assembly that is an arm of government.

    “Examples abound, CBN, NNPC, NCC etc. Allowances paid to even junior staff of some of these government agencies cannot be compared to what members of National Assembly enjoy.

    “Undoubtedly, the former President Obasanjo is understandably angry with the National Assembly as an institution having foiled his ambition for a third-term in office even after trying to corrupt the members with a bribe of at least N50m each. Lest we forget, the person who introduced corruption to the National Assembly is Chief Olesugn Obasanjo.

    “He birthed the 4th Republic National Assembly with corrupt practices from day one; indeed the first day of the Republic. He bribed both PDP, ANPP and AD legislators on their inauguration in 1999 to vote against the majority candidate of PDP, Dr. Chuba Okadigbo. That was how Senator Evan Enwerem became Senate President.

    “Have we forgotten the sacks of money displayed on the floor of the House of Representatives being bribe money paid by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo to some Honourable members to impeach Speaker, Rt. Hon. Ghali N’abba?

    “Have we forgotten that Chief Olusegun Obasanjo used his position as President to extort money from businessmen and contractors with his government to build his presidential library?

    “The list of his corrupt acts while in office is endless. Unquestionably, he is the greatest corrupt person ever to hold office in Nigeria. He remains the grandfather of corruption in Nigeria and lacks the moral authority to discuss corruption or indeed abuse of office in Nigeria as he remains the most corrupt Nigerian on record.

    “It is unfortunate that he has started his very familiar method of bringing down governments. He did it to Alhaji Shehu Shagari, he did it to Gen. Buhari, he did same to Gen. Babangida, he attempted to bring down Gen. Abacha before he imprisoned him for treason; he made frantic efforts to derail the government of President Ya’ardua when he couldn’t use him.

    “He supported President Goodluck Jonathan but when he refused to take dictation, he turned against him. He supported President Buhari, but since he has sensed that Nigeria is having economic difficulties under him, he has pounced to derail his government.

    “The way Chief Obasanjo talks gives the impression that he is a lifetime opposition leader who has never held any office. What did he do about the issues he raised in his 8 years as President?

    “This is a man with unlimited access to President Buhari. Or is it because he has not appointed all his cronies as requested? We may never know. His stuck in trade is blackmail, subversion and treachery.  We wish him well.”

  • NASS vows to protect Nigeria’s sovereignty

    NASS vows to protect Nigeria’s sovereignty

    The National Assembly has vowed to defend Nigeria’s sovereignty and interest against foreign interference.

    This is coming against the background of concerns expressed by the Coalition for Good Governance and Change Initiative and other Civil Society and Human rights organizations on what they described as undue interference by the republic of Iran in Nigeria’s internal affairs.

    The Senate gave the assurance when they received members of the Coalition for Good Governance and Change Initiative and other CSOs who led a protest march to the National Assembly.

    The protesters who were received by Sen. Emmanuel Paulker, (Bayelsa central and Chairman Senate committee on petroleum, upstream PDP) and Sen. Yusuf Abubakar, (Taraba central APC) expressed concern over the radicalization of IMN members by Iran.

    Addressing the protesters, Sen. Paulker said Nigeria is a secular state and nobody would be allowed to impose his religion on others. He assured that the National Assembly will move fast to quickly address the issue.

    He said: “We will protect Nigerians against any foreigner that will come under any guise to destabilize this country. We have taken notice of what you have stated. In fact the Senate president specifically asked me and my colleague to come out here and address this issue. So we will go back to the Senate and look at it intensively.”

    Speaking earlier, National Coordinator of the group, Ogenyi Emmanuel urged both chambers of the National Assembly to pass resolutions asking the Federal Government to outlaw the IMN nationwide.

    Ogenyi expressed worry that Nigeria is under threat from the Islamic Republic of Iran, which is flooding the country with the terrorists it had trained and empowered under the cover of being Shiite sect members.

    He said: “These Iranian representatives in the country operate under the name of Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), which has disavowed the secular state prescribed in the constitution. IMN has emphatically declared that it does not recognize the Federal Government of which the National Assembly is the third arm of government.”

    Ogenyi drew the attention of the lawmakers to online video of IMN members performing military drills and practicing combat skills, warning that what the country is dealing with here is not just a band of adherents but several cells of heavily radicalized youths that have been convinced to see suicide attacks as the path to martyrdom.

    He said the Judicial Commission of Inquiry set up by the Kaduna State government in the aftermath of last year’s clash between the IMN and the military offered great insight into the true identity of the extremist group.

    According to him, during the commission’s public hearing Nigerians recounted how they experienced the horrors dispensed by the IMN in Zaria, Kaduna state which was its enclave.

    Ogenyi said the findings of the commission provoked the outlawing of IMN by Kaduna state government, but said sadly, instead of waking the sect up to the rejection of its extreme views, its members have rather scattered farther afield to other state in what some expert see as preemptively activating a domination agenda that is not different from the approach adopted by the world’s worst terrorist group, Boko Haram.

    He said: “There is need for Nigeria to act fast. The National Assembly must activate what is an equivalent of the doctrine of necessity. It will take time for all the remaining thirty five states and the FCT to outlaw this extremist group but the National Assembly can save the country.

    “It is on this note that we are demanding that both chambers of the National Assembly pass resolutions asking the Federal Government to outlaw the IMN nationwide. Our Federal lawmakers must also demand the severance of diplomatic relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran for exporting terrorism into our country, for radicalizing our youths, for flooding our land with weapons, for intruding into our national affairs and threatening our sovereignty and for being a threat to our nationhood.

    “The country must also close its diplomatic mission here while Nigeria closes ours in Tehran. As practical step, the Senate should not confirm any ambassadorial nominee for that country while exercising the budget for Nigeria’s embassy there.

    “We will observe in the coming days to see what actions the National Assembly will take on our demands. Once we see our federal lawmakers commence work in earnest to address this IMN threat to our collective safety, we shall support in any way possible.”

    Ogenyi said the CSOs will hold daily protests at the premises of the National Assembly if it fails to act fast and do the needful.

    He however expressed confidence that the “National Assembly will act in the interest of their constituents who do not want to be wiped out by IMN fanatics.”

     

  • Buhari may present 2017 budget December 1

    Buhari may present 2017 budget December 1

    …MTEF unrealistic, Senators insist

     

    President Muhammadu Buhari may present the 2017 Appropriation Bill to the joint session of the National Assembly on December 1, 2016.

    Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, gave the hint Wednesday while contributing to the debate on the 2017 to 2019 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP).

    Akpabio said that the Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki on Tuesday made reference to the fact that the President Buhari may be coming to the National Assembly to submit and read the 2017 budget on 1st of December 2016.

    The information came as the Senators overwhelmingly described the MTEF and FSP as largely unrealistic.

    The lawmakers took turns to tear the MTEF and FSP to shred rooting for the fiscal document to be returned back to the Presidency.

    Saraki saved the day by appealing to his colleagues that though the assumptions and estimates in the MTEF were largely incorrect they remained assumptions and estimate.

    The Senate President noted that it was the responsibility of the Senate to work on the document and use its capacity to produce a realistic document.

    Akpabio said, “We can see that we don’t have a perfect document in our hands but of course we are looking at assumptions and assumptions may not necessarily be correct. I want to suggest that we send it to the committee. Of course, the committee will invite the relevant agencies and ministries of government.

    “They will come up with a more realistic MTEF/FSP because I believe also that looking at the date that this was submitted to the Senate, (4th of October) and we are debating it today on the 23nd of November. So, a lot of indices must have changed. Wednesday, you made reference to the fact that the President may be coming to the chambers to submit and read the 2017 budget on 1st of December.

    “If that is the case and we send this (MTEF) back and wait for it to come and debate it, it means that we will not be able to meet that deadline. But if we send it to the committee level, they may come up with something within the next three days that will be much realistic.”

    So, my appeal will be that the committee members should take into cognisance all the submissions and observations made today; so that we can come up with a more realistic MTEF and FSP.
    The Medium Term Expenditure Framework and the Fiscal Strategy Paper is proposing a budget that will be predicated on an oil revenue benchmark of $42.5 per barrel for the period 2017 -2019.

    The non-oil revenue for 2017 -2019 is guided by the improved efficiency of collection and expected growth in non-oil GDP, and accordingly customs collection, Companies Income Tax, Value Added Tax and FGN Independent Revenue are non-oil sectors the government is expecting revenue from in 2017.

    The proposal also shows that the government is projecting a 3.02% GDP growth in 2017, while inflation is expected to moderate at 12 ‚92%.

    The GDP growth would be driven by strong performance in agriculture, wholesale and retail, construction and real estate sectors ‘ among others.

    Similarly, the GDP growth for the medium term is based on the assumptions of average oil production of 2.2mbpd‚2.3 mbpd and 2.4mbpd for 2017,2018 and 2019 respectively with average benchmark oil price of USD42.5pb,USD45pb‚ and USD50pb for 2017,2018 and 2019 respectively as well as an average exchange rate of N290 per dollar. It is also based on an average growth rate of 9.69% during the period.

    Deputy Senate Leader, Bala Ibn Na’Allah who presented the MTEF noted that the document is designed to reposition the Nigerian economy from the shores of recession to a sustainable inclusive growth path.

    “The fiscal strategy for the 2017 -2019 MTEF / FSP therefore is framed to fundamentally restructure the economy for enhanced productivity, efficiency and accountability in the management of national resources with the intent of unlocking the real sector and private sector potentials for bolstering growth.

    “The focus of the 2017-2019 MTEF and FSP is the utilization of targeted spending in critical sectors that will translate into quick transformative capabilities and strong linkages with medium term development plans to achieve a more developed infrastructure base to stimulate real sector productivity, job creation and increased private sector investment.

    “The 2017 budget will be guided by six principles namely realism, credibility, allocative strategic, prioritization, transparency and accountability and social safety nets

    “The policy outline in the Medium Term Expenditure Framework and the Fiscal Strategy Paper are in line with the Change Agenda of this Administration,” Na’Allah said.

    The consideration of the fiscal document followed a closed session of the upper chamber during which senators were said to have attempted to persuade themselves not to throw out the document.

    It was learnt that the Presidency refused to rework the MTEF and FSP the Senate rejected on November 3rd, 2016.

    A reliable source said that “the same MTEF we rejected and returned to the Executive was sent back to us to consider. Nothing was changed, nothing was reworked, it was the same it was submitted in October.”

    Almost all the senators who contributed to the debate agreed that the projections in the MTEF/FSP were unrealistic.

    Chairman, Senate Committee on Finance, Senator John Enoh (Akwa Ibom Central) said the first thing to consider is the broad, the basic assumptions that are contained in the document including the assumptions of the daily oil production of 2.2 which has not changed from where it was in 2016.

    Enoh said, “I think with the backdrop of a lot that is happening in terms of oil production the government especially the executive arm has to put in place a proper engagements strategy in the Niger Delta if it hopes to achieve this because as I speak am sure we are losing on a daily basis more than 600,000 or 800,000 barrels a day.

    “If that is what we are doing and then we are predicating daily production in 2017 at 2.2 then the government needs to do quite a lot in terms of the oil price benchmark of $42.5.

    “Talking about the exchange rate of N290 when in spite of the exchange rate we have figures that rotates the upper limits into as much as N350 not minding what is happening in the parallel market

    “In looking at the 2017 projections, the one that is most startling in terms of the projections that has increased is bad. VAT in 2016 was about 1.2, 1.4 but in 2017 it was projected about 2 trillion and I think that there is no real basis if for example as at September VAT indicated just about 55 percent then why are you now increasing it by more than 1trillion.”

    Senator Solomon Adeola (Lagos West) in his contribution noted that by passing the MTEF, the Senate was giving the leeway to the President to present the 2017 budget.

    The lawmaker said that the first thing the Senate should have done was to consider and analyze the performance of the 2016 budget.

    Senator Adeola added, “Going through the document before us, I want to say that the Economic Team of the government is in disarray. The document before us is not realistic. We should return it for the Economic Team to rework.”

    For Senator Suleiman Adokwe, (Nasarawa South) the problem is the bureaucracy, who have a template they recycle every year.

    Adokwe lamented that it appears there is no economic blue print to get the country out of recession.

    Senator Mohammed Hassan (Yobe North) agreed the most of the assumptions in the document were unrealistic.

    Sentor Usman Bayero Nafada warned that if the MTEF was not well done, the 2017 budget would fail.

    He wondered why the Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele would inform Nigerians that the exchange rate stood at N305 to one dollar while the government would sent a document containing N290 to one dollar.

    Senator Jibrin Barau (Kano North) said that Senate has the constitutional power to adjust the document as it deemed correct.

    Barau also said the assumptions were wrong.

    On his own Senator Dino Melaye (Kogi West) said “Mr. President, if we speak the truth, we would die, if we lie, we would die. So I have chosen to speak the truth and die.

    “I want to say this document that I have before me, this MTEF proposal and projections of the 2017 to 2019 is a lie. This document is not truthful, it is not honest, it is not transparent and it is not factual.

    “We want to know the level of compliance of the MTEF we passed last year and it is for three years, 2016-2018. What are the new amendments, Is this MTEF predicated on the loan that the executive is requesting to take. We want to know and that is not stipulated in this MTEF. We also want to know the whether the rate of N290 exchange rate per dollar is it realistic? Is this the truth. Governance is about the truth, it is about honesty, it is about transparency, it is about opening yourself to the people.

    “The GDP is going down and this MTEF document is telling me that it is going up. So, how do you corroborate this fraud. We should not be talking about deficit to GDP in realistic term we should be talking about deficit to revenue. How much of our revenue is being used in servicing our debts.

    “You need to tell us, we need to know that what percentage of our revenue you are allocating to servicing debts but that question is very, very painful to me because recently in international forum the minister of budget and planning blatantly displaying ignorance of not knowing even what the debt profile of the government is.”

    After the debate and appeal by the Senate President, the lawmakers agreed to refer the document to the joint committee on Appropriation, Finance and Budget and National Planning for further legislative action.