The Nation Newspaper

Tag: national assembly

  • Court refuses FG’s request to shield witnesses in Kanu’s trial

    Court refuses FG’s request to shield witnesses in Kanu’s trial

    Justice James Tsoho of the Federal High Court, Abuja refused the prayer by the Federal Government allowing an arrangement where prosecution witnesses will be masked in the trial of pro-Biafra agitator, Nnamdi Kanu and two of his associates.

    In a ruling Friday, the judge Was of the view that‎ the provisions of section 232 (4)(e) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015 provides for such protection, sought by the prosecution, in only terrorism cases.

    The judge said the extension of such arrangement to cases other than terrorism would require an Act of the National Assembly providing for such.

    Kanu, David Nwawusi and Benjamin Madubugwu – are being tried on a six-count charge of treasonable felony, unlawful possession of firearms and other offences bordering on their agitation for secession ‎of the Republic of Biafra from Nigeria.

    The prosecution filed a motion on notice for February 9, 2016 praying for a number of protection measures for its which it said had been inundated with threat messages warning them not to testify in the case.

    Justice Tsoho, in his ruling Friday, held that the prosecution failed to draw the court’s attention to any law made by the National Assembly, allowing the masking of prosecution witnesses cases other than terrorism.

    He however granted other prayers in the application, including the one seeking the exclusion of names of the prosecution witnesses from records of proceedings.

    The judge restated his earlier order permitting only parties to the suit, their lawyers, accredited journalists and some of the relatives of the accused persons to attend the trial.

    He said though he appreciated the fear said to have been expressed prosecution witnesses, he ruled that details of the threat given by the prosecution were not sufficient.

    “I hold the respective view that while the fear of the fear is appreciated, it is not all prayers that can be granted,” the judge ruled.

    The judge upheld the submission of the defence lawyer, Chuks Muoma (SAN), who opposed the application on and among other grounds that allowing the witnesses to wear masks would deprive him (the judge) of watching the demanour of the witnesses while testifying.

    “There is no gain saying the fact that demeanour is crucial in criminal trial in evaluation of evidence,” he ruled while adding that “the look of the witness forms a key part of‎ his demanour.”

    He also rejected the prosecution’s argument that majority of its witnesses were residing in the place of dominance of the accused persons.

    The judge said his findings from the list of witnesses filed by the prosecution only one was said to be residing in Enugu‎, two were said to be residing in Enugu/Port Harcourt, while the rest were said to be living in either Lagos or Abuja.

    ‎Justice Tsoho noted that the Fed Govt has the capacity to protect its witnesses even without the court granting all the prayers sought in the application.

    Shortly after the judge ended his ruling, Muoma told the court that record of‎ some of the property seized from one of the accused persons (Nwawuisi) when he was arrested could not be found and urged the court to make appropriate directive about it.

    The property includes, a jeep, Toyota Camry, Toyota RAV 4, a Mercedez Benz and their spare keys.

    Prosecution lawyer, David Kaswe, promised to investigate the issue and report back to the court.

    The judge consequently adjourned to March 7 for trial.

  • National Assembly lacks will to pass PIB, says lawyer

    A lawyer  has blamed the non-passage of Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) on lack of political will by the National Assembly and the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

    Mr Taiwo Ogunleye said the non-passage of the bill has caused a  problem for the oil and gas industry, and  the economy.

    He said transparency issue was a major challenge in the industry, and noted that restructuring of the sector could be efficiently carried out without amendment or repeal of the law as the case may be.

    He said: “We have transparency and accountability issue. We have low investment in the sector because people are not sure what the fiscals would be in order to be able to plan on it. The situation is like the petroleum industry is in a state of uncertainty because nobody wants to invest without certainty.”

    Ogunleye, who spoke with The Nation in Lagos, said having sent the bill to the National Assembly, it is the responsibility of the government to follow up on it. Similarly, if the legislative arm has a problem with the bill, it also has the responsibility to get back to the executive

    “First of all, there was a delay because it took them (legislators) long period to even give consideration to begin deliberation on passage of the bill. If a bill had been sent to the lawmakers as at 2012, and they began to consider the passage in 2015, there is a question of whether they actually had the intention or will to do so,” he said.

    He blamed the National Assembly for identifying the provisions in the bill that were adequate and refused to approve them for passage into law.  He said the lawmakers could have reduced the bill to the size that can be passed, while work on the contentious ones continues.

    The executive arm of the government is also supposed to follow up on the bill to know what has delayed the passage.

    Ogunleye said the 2012 PIB was very adequate when compared to that of 2008. According to him, in 2008 two things were not satisfactory, the provisions on the upstream, which he said was not different from the existing legislation.

    In addition, provisions on fiscals were also nothing different from what was in place now. He said political will was fundamental and crucial for the current National Assembly to pass the bill into law. He advised the Federal Government to see the passage of the bill as a serious business and take steps towards ensuring that the bill is passed.

  • National Assembly may pass 2016 budget by mid March

    National Assembly may pass 2016 budget by mid March

    •Lawmakers gives MDAs Thursday deadline

    There are indications that the 2016 Appropriation bill may be passed by the National Assembly in the second week of next month.

    Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation Abdulmumin Jibrin made this known yesterday while receiving report of the House Committee on Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) on the defence of the commission’s budget.

    Jibrin, who restated the need for extension of time for the consideration of the budget proposal, also disclosed that relevant ministers, whose jobs were related to the budget, would be invited to throw light on identified grey areas.

    “I can confirm to you clearly that the extension of time is to allow appropriation committee to do a necessary cleaning up. Taking this into consideration, the budget will be passed by the second week of March.

    “The passage of the budget has not been suspended indefinitely. What we say is that due to the errors discovered, we will need additional time to take a second look at the budget and to also take on the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Budget and National Planning,” he said.

    Jibrin also gave Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA) of government that were yet to present and defend their budget proposals till Thursday to make their presentation or risk zero allocation.

    Senate Leader Ali Ndume was also quoted at the weekend as saying that the upper chamber would strive to pass the 2016 budget before the end of next month.

    He said the implementation of the 2015 budget would end next month and therefore, it was the desire of the Senate to pass the 2016 budget before that time.

    Ndume said contrary to reports in the media, the Senate did not suspend its passage indefinitely, but only said that February 25 “may not be feasible”.

     

  • Saraki speaks on Success of 2016 Budget

    Saraki speaks on Success of 2016 Budget

    The Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, on Tuesday said if the 2016 Budget is going to be realistic and successful, emphasis should be on the non oil and independent revenue generating sources.

    The Senate President said this while answering questions from Senate Correspondents after commissioning the newly upgraded and refurbished Senate Press Centre at the National Assembly in Abuja.

    Saraki said that the eighth Senate will focus attention on the revenue generating areas and to ensure that all leakages are blocked.

    Speaking in a statement signed by Sanni Onogu, Chief Press Secretary to the Senate President, Saraki stated that though the 2016 budget proposal is ambitious but it can be achieved if all that is necessary to make it work is put in place.

    When asked if the 2016 budget is implementable in view of the dwindling price of crude oil at the international market, Saraki said: “I think this is one of the reasons why we are having the MDAs defend their proposals before the Committees to be able to test some of the scenarios and some of the assumptions, particularly on the revenue side. if you look at the revenue, out of about N3.8trillion, N3trillion is coming from non-oil and independent revenue.

    “The success of the budget, in my own view is less on the benchmark. It is more on those two items – non-oil revenue and independent revenue – and that is why we directed our Committee on Finance and other relevant Committees to really scrutinize the revenue side.

    “Even the Senate leadership intends to also engage with the ministries as well to really check those two lines, because that is really where the questions come on whether it is achievable. Before we put our signature to it, we need to be sure that those funds are there.

    “I believe they are ambitious but it is a good sign, because it begins to make us less dependent on oil. Because if N830billion is coming from oil revenue and it is only 23%.

    So, even if the price of oil goes down or up, we are not really so much vulnerable than that of the time oil revenue was accounting for 70 of our revenue. From that point of view, I believe that once we can do that, it is achievable,” he said.

    The Senate President also advised the executive to put a proper plan in place for implementing the budget now that the National Assembly is working to pass it in record time.

    He said the National Assembly would soon amend the Public Procurement Act to facilitate quick implementation of the budget.

    “But also talking about being achievable or implementable, already, some of the things we are going to look at and which we are going to advise the executive on is that while we are working on the budget now, they too should also start making a plan on how to implement the budget because what tends to happen is that even after we have passed a budget, the administration or its bureaucracy sometimes makes the budget difficult to be realisable.

    “And two areas: one is looking at the procurement process and it is very likely that we will need to come out with an amendment bill as regards to certain areas of the procurement law. That is something that we are likely to come out with very soon. People are looking at that now to see again how we can assist the executive to see that the budget is implementable,” he said.

    On the need for transparency and openness in the National Assembly budget, Saraki said: “On the issue of National Assembly, I think I’ve kept on repeating this many times. If you remember, even during the time the leadership was constituted, one of the issues that came forward was that we will have an open and transparent Eight Senate and I still want to be held to that.

    “Also during this process, of course, National Assembly budget too will also be debated and by the time the final document is out, I can assure you that we are going to move away from the time of one line item for the National Assembly to a National Assembly where there will be a break down according to different sections of the institution.”

    While commenting on the remodeled and refurbished Senate Press Centre, Saraki said the 8th Senate is poised to leave a good legacy behind in all aspects of the National Assembly.

    He said: “It (upgraded Senate Press Centre) signifies a commitment that we all see that in the Eight Senate, we will ensure that every aspect, we are poised to do things differently. We will try and improve on what we met and I hope by the time we finish our tenure, we would have left the Senate better than we met it.”

    Earlier, Chairman Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi said the Press Centre was refurbished to create a befitting working environment for journalists reporting the activities of the Senate.

    Abdullahi said: “What we have done here with your magnanimous support, we have turned this place around so that when we come here to speak to Nigerians about the Senate, let Nigerians see that the environment we are doing it is befitting of that institution.”

    In his response, Vice Chairman of the Senate Press Corps, Shagari Sumbo thanked the leadership of the Senate for improving on the Senate Press Centre and making it more conducive for the Correspondents to carry out their assignments.

    [news_box style=”2″ display=”tag” link_target=”_blank” tag=”Budget” count=”8″ show_more=”on” show_more_type=”link”]

  • An end to gluttony in the National Assembly?

    An end to gluttony in the National Assembly?

    Since inception, they have operated like a cult and in the sixteen years of the PDP, not even the loudest opposition member had the guts to openly disclose what he or she earns. 

    A glutton is one who eats voraciously and obsessively, and that precisely is what our National Assembly members have been doing since 1999, consuming everything in sight even while not putting in commensurate service to the nation that feeds their greed. But at last, it looks like a Daniel has come to judgment. If our luck as Nigerians hold pretty this time around, may be, just maybe, our legislators’ impunity-driven excesses and illegalities may soon come to an abrupt end – thanks to Olusegun Obasanjo and the unflattering slump in oil prices. Obasanjo, a two-term former Nigerian President whose legendary no-nonsense stance vis a vis the usually gluttonous National Assembly was ignominiously rubbished by his hand-picked duo of supine and clueless successors. No hard-headed observer of Nigerian affairs could have forgotten, in a hurry, how  President Obasanjo put the National Assembly on a leach and on the path of rectitude even as Speaker Ghali Naaba was literally fire-eating, threatening him with impeachment. Obasanjo brooded no nonsense but the National Assembly went gaga the minute the same Obasanjo handpicked two weak successors and inflicted them on the nation. As it would happen, both of them were more concerned with holding on to the reins of office, at whatever cost to the nation, and for this reason they had to romance the National Assembly. Their overriding selfishness was all the National Assembly needed to literally run amok, tearing into the national treasury as they pleased, and using, to quote Obasanjo in his recent letter to the legislative arm, “different disingenuous ways and devices to overturn the recommendations of the Revenue Mobilization, allocation and Fiscal Commission whose responsibility it is to fix emoluments for the three arms of government.” The result is that, today, what our legislators take home monthly, or quarterly, bears no correlation to the commission’s recommendations or to common sense in a cash-strapped economy like ours. They not only earn so disproportionately to everybody else, they ingeniously ensure that only a very small fraction of that humongous haul is taxable. What have we not written about their opaque ways? What else remains to be said of their collective insensitivity; their beyond shame predilections? I have personally written myself sore on this carefree arm of government. Thrice, I have called on Nigerians: students, market women and the country’s hoi polloi, to demonstrate their total disavowal of this insensitivity by storming what I called the ‘Bastille’, in reference to a similar incident in French history. In the article: Are Nigerians Condemned To This Profligate National Assembly? – The Nation, 17 January, 2016 – I wrote inter alia: “why are these politicians so conscienceless they would always agree on loots, irrespective of differences in their party affiliation or is the National Assembly a cultic coven where they swear to things besides the well being of Nigerians?

    They are known to sometimes tear at one another exchanging blows; but such scuffles never happen when it comes to money matters. In that instance, they are always ‘ad idem’, belonging momentarily, only to one party: the MONEY PARTY of Nigeria.

    That solidarity in financial matters is why Senator Dino Melaye and the House spokesman, Abdul-Razak Namdas, have been pooh-poohing Obasanjo’s timely warning. Whatever their reaction, Nigerians know only too well that each National Assembly session has traditionally been progressively more corrupt than the last, and that this present one is simply the worst in their greedy acquisitiveness. That is why many Nigerians regard the crisis in the oil sector as divine so that our gluttons can moderate their greed or get chased out by unemployed, hungry and angry Nigerians. Leo Ogor, for instance, is so enamoured with constitution amendment that he would like the executive to initiate another, easily forgetting that they are yet to successfully clear the allegation of massive corruption in the last one which came to nothing. If they can be so dismissive of the advice of  a two-term president of this  country what chance stands any other Nigerian trying to call them to work with an executive branch that is  trying its dam best to instill sanity into the country’s finances?

    Back then to Obasanjo’s letter which a serious National Assembly should have received with appreciation as Senate President Saraki’s reaction initially indicated. The former president began on a very sombre note: “I have reflected and expressed, outspokenly at times, my views on the practice in the National Assembly which detracts from distinguishness and honourability because it is shrouded in opaqueness and absolute lack of transparency and could not be regarded as normal, good and decent practice in a democracy that is supposed to be exemplary. I am, of course, referring to the issue of budgets and finances of the National Assembly”. To a more discerning people, words like these, coming from an Obasanjo should, ordinarily, have been taken with all seriousness.  But that will not be our National Assembly members who have since been pouring scorn on the one single Nigerian who can tell them the absolute truth given that if President Buhari did, he would be misunderstood. Going further, the man you cannot gag went straight to the kernel of his message: “The purpose of election into the Legislative Assembly, particularly at the national level, is to give service to the nation and not for the personal service and interest of members at the expense of the nation which seemed to have been the mentality, psychology, mindset and practice within the National Assembly since the beginning of this present democratic dispensation”. Then he asked: “Where is patriotism? Where is commitment? Where is service?”

    Thank you General. Nigerians are one with you in asking these questions. We can only hope we are not in a dialogue with the deaf. But he was not done as he went on to give them a lecture on the very essence of good governance: ”The beginning of good governance which is the responsibility of all arms and all the tiers of government is openness and transparency. It does not matter what else we try to do, as long as one arm of government shrouds its financial administration and management in opaqueness and practices rife with corruption, only very little, if anything at all, can be achieved in putting Nigeria on the path of sustainable and enduring democratic system, development and progress. Governance without transparency will be a mockery of democracy”.

    That has been the cause of Nigerians’ greatest angst against the National Assembly. Since inception, they have operated like a cult and in the sixteen years of the PDP, not even the loudest opposition member had the guts to openly disclose what he or she earns. Indeed, not a few Nigerians actually believe that they are sworn to an oath. To dispute this, they must, today, let Nigerians know what they earn, to the very last penny. Otherwise we would brand them cultists and cheats.

    Enough is enough. In no other country of the world does this happen.

     

  • Supreme Court sacks Andy Uba, Stella Oduah

    Supreme Court sacks Andy Uba, Stella Oduah

    • Upholds Oguebego leadership of Anambra PDP

    The Supreme Court has sacked former Special Assistant to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo on Domestic Affairs, Andy Uba, former Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, and other House of Representatives members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from Anambra State.

    The apex court, in a judgment Friday morning, upheld Ejike Oguebego-led Executive Committee of the PDP in Anambra State and the list of candidates it sent to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before the last general election.

    The court upheld the appeal filed by Ejike Oguebego-led Executive Committee of the PDP in Anambra against the judgment of the Court of Appeal on the issue.

    By the judgment, Andy Uba, Stella Oduah and others, who were products of a second list submitted to INEC by another faction of the PDP, are now to be replaced by those on the earlier list submitted to INEC by the Ejike Oguebego-led Executive Committee of the PDP in Anambra.

    Also by the judgment, Annie Okonkwo now automatically becomes the candidate of the PDP for the rerun election for the Anambra Central Senatorial district, which election was voided recently by the Court of Appeal.

  • I received Obasanjo’s letter – Saraki

    I received Obasanjo’s letter – Saraki

    The senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki on Wednesday acknowledged that he received a letter from former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo on Tuesday after plenary.

    According to the Senate President, the former President in his letter, called the attention of the National Assembly to some issues.

    Saraki made this known in a statement on his website saying: “I want to assure President Obasanjo that the leadership and membership of the 8th Senate are committed to good governance, transparency, accountability, due process and responsiveness to the economic reality of our nation.

    “It is for this reason that the legislative chamber has introduced bold and progressive reforms in the management of the finances of the National Assembly.

    “This is of even greater importance during a tough fiscal period for our country.

    “Like I said during my closing address at the plenary after our debate on the 2016 Budget, the Senate must lead by example in terms of our own funding, budgets and accountability – showing, beyond doubt, value for money.

    “I have canvassed that we must lay bare the budget of the Senate, nay the National Assembly and its affiliated institutions.

    “I equally canvassed the need to strengthen the capacity of the legislative institution to carry our effective oversight of the executive arm so that we can ensure the budget leads to the realization of the policy objectives of the Buhari Administration.

    “Again, let me reiterate my position in the speech I made this morning on the need for us to work towards blocking all areas of revenue leakages while also strengthening the anti-corruption agencies so that the little resources that are now available will serve the interest of the overwhelming majority.”

    He then promised to reply to the letter by Obasanjo acknowledging him as ‘a father of the nation that we all hold in high esteem’.

    “I intend to reply the letter and outline the actions the Senate is taking to address his concerns.

    “In conclusion, I appreciate President Obasanjo for his consistent role in always reminding those of us in government about our responsibilities to the general public and offering timely advise where necessary.

  • National Assembly should make its budget transparent

    It is appropriate to begin this letter, which I am sending to all members of the Senate and the House of Representatives through both of you at this auspicious and critical time, with wishes of Happy New Year to you all.

    On a few occasions in the past, both in and out of office as the President of Nigeria, I have agonised on certain issues within the arms of government at the national level and among the tiers of government as well. Not least, I have reflected and expressed, outspokenly at times, my views on the practice in the National Assembly, which detracts from distinguishness and honourability because it is shrouded in opaqueness and absolute lack of transparency and could not be regarded as normal, good and decent practice in a democracy that is supposed to be exemplary. I am, of course, referring to the issue of budgets and finances of the National Assembly.

    The present economic situation that the country has found itself in is the climax of the steady erosion of good financial and economic management, which grew from bad to worse in the last six years or so. The executive and the legislative arms of government must accept and share responsibility in this regard. And if there will be a redress of the situation as early as possible, the two arms must also bear the responsibility proportionally. The two arms ran the affairs of the country unmindful of the rainy day. The rainy day is now here. It would not work that the two arms should stand side by side with one arm pulling and without the support of the other one for good and efficient management of the economy.

    The purpose of election into the Legislative Assembly, particularly at the national level, is to give service to the nation and not for the personal service and interest of members at the expense of the nation, which seemed to have been the mentality, psychology, mindset and practice within the National Assembly since the beginning of this present democratic dispensation. Where is patriotism? Where is commitment? Where is service?

    The beginning of good governance which is the responsibility of all arms and all the tiers of government is openness and transparency. It does not matter what else we try to do, as long as one arm of government shrouds its financial administration and management in opaqueness and practices rife with corruption, only very little, if anything at all, can be achieved in putting Nigeria on the path of sustainable and enduring democratic system, development and progress. Governance without transparency will be a mockery of democracy.

    Let us be more direct and specific so that action can be taken where it is urgently necessary. A situation where our national budget was predicated on $38 per barrel of oil with estimated 2 million barrels per day and before the budget was presented, the price of oil had gone down to $34 per barrel and now hovering around $30 and we have no assurance of producing 2 million barrels and if we can, we have no assurance of finding market for it, definitely calls for caution. If production and price projected in the budget stand, we would have to borrow almost one third of the 6 trillion naira budget. Now beginning with the reality of the budget, there is need for sober reflection and sacrifice with innovation at the level of executive and legislative arms of government. The soberness, the sacrifice and seriousness must be patient and apparent.

    It must not be seen and said that those who, as leaders, call for sacrifice from the citizenry are living in obscene opulence. It will not only be insensitive but callously so. It would seem that it is becoming a culture that election into the legislative arm of government at the national level in particular is a licence for financial misconduct and that should not be. The National Assembly now has a unique opportunity of presenting a new image of itself. It will help to strengthen, deepen, widen and sustain our democracy.

    By our Constitution, the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission is charged with the responsibility of fixing emoluments of the three arms of government: executive, legislature and judiciary. The Commission did its job but by different disingenuous ways and devices, the legislature had overturned the recommendation of the Commission and hiked up for themselves that which they are unwilling to spell out in detail, though they would want to defend it by force of arm if necessary. What is that?

    Mr. President of the Senate and Hon. Speaker of the House, you know that your emolument which the Commission had recommended for you takes care of all your legitimate requirements: basic salary, car, housing, staff, constituency allowance. Although the constituency allowance is paid to all members of the National Assembly, many of them have no constituency offices which the allowance is partly meant to cater for. And yet other allowances and payments have been added by the National Assembly for the National Assembly members’ emoluments. Surely, strictly speaking, it is unconstitutional. There is no valid argument for this except to see it for what it is – law-breaking and impunity by lawmakers. The lawmakers can return to the path of honour, distinguishness, sensitivity and responsibility. The National Assembly should have the courage to publish its recurrent budgets for the years 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2015. That is what transparency demands. With the number of legislators not changing, comparison can be made. Comparisons in emoluments can also be made with countries like Ghana, Kenya, Senegal and even Malaysia and Indonesia who are richer and more developed than we are.

    The budget is a proposal and only an estimate of income and expenditure. Where income is inadequate, expenditure will not be made. While in government, I was threatened with impeachment by the members of the National Assembly for not releasing some money they had appropriated for themselves which were odious and for which there were no incomes to support. The recent issue of cars for legislators would fall into the same category. Whatever name it is disguised as, it is unnecessary and insensitive. A pool of a few cars for each Chamber will suffice for any Committee Chairman or members for any specific duty. The waste that has gone into cars, furniture, housing renovation in the past was mind-boggling and these were veritable sources of waste and corruption. That was why they were abolished. Bringing them back is inimical to the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians.

    The way of proposing budget should be for the executive to discuss every detail of the budget, in preparation, with different Committees and sub-Committees of the National Assembly and the National Assembly to discuss its budget with the Ministry of Finance. Then, the budget should be brought together as consolidated budget and formally presented to the National Assembly, to be deliberated and debated upon and passed into law. It would then be implemented as revenues are available. Where budget proposals are extremely ambitious like the current budget and revenue sources are so uncertain, more borrowing may have to be embarked upon, almost up to 50 per cent of the budget or the budget may be grossly unimplementable and unimplemented. Neither is a choice as both are bad. Management of the economy is one of the key responsibilities of the President as prescribed in the Constitution. He cannot do so if he does not have his hands on the budget. Management of the economy is shared responsibility where the Presidency has the lion’s share of the responsibility. But if the National Assembly becomes a cog in the wheel, the executive efforts will not yield much reward or progress. The two have to work synchronisingly together to provide the impetus and the conducive environment for the private sector to play its active vanguard role. Management of the budget is the first step to manage the economy. It will be interesting if the National Assembly will be honourable enough and begin the process of transparency, responsibility and realism by publishing its recurrent budgets for 2016 as it should normally be done.

    Hopefully, the National Assembly will take a step back and do what is right not only in making its own budget transparent but in all matters of financial administration and management, including audit of its accounts by external auditor from 1999 to date. This, if it is done, will bring a new dawn to democracy in Nigeria and a new and better image for the National Assembly and it will surely prevent the Presidency and the National Assembly from going into face-off all the time on budgets and financial matters.

    While I thank you for your patience and understanding, please accept, Dear Senate President and Honourable Speaker of the House, the assurances of my highest consideration.

     

    • Ex-President Obasanjo’s letter to the Senate President and Speaker of House of Representatives
  • Osun protesters storm National Assembly over unpaid salaries

    Osun protesters storm National Assembly over unpaid salaries

    •Group: they are hired goons

    Members of a group, Civil Societies Coalition for the Emancipation of Osun State (CSCOS), yesterday protested at the National Assembly the alleged failure of the Osun State government to pay the salaries of its workers.

    But another group, the Osun Civil Societies Coalition (OCSC), urged the National Assembly to ignore the protesters, who it called hired goons.

    CSCOS Chairman Adeniyi Suleiman told reporters that the group was in Abuja to expose goings-on in Osun State.

    The activist said members of the coalition were determined to sustain the protest to ensure that the right thing was done in the state.

    He said: “We are here based on the situation in Osun State. We are here to lodge our bitter complaint for the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives.

    “Osun State is now suffering because Governor Rauf Aregbesola …has refused to pay the salary of workers and the pension of pensioners, including their gratuities.

    “The people are not benefiting from the dividends of democracy in Osun State. That is why we are here to protest to the National Assembly through our petition.

    “We are calling on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to take action. We have a lot of evidence which are contained in our petitions to the EFCC and ICPC.

    “Aregbesola also …refused to use the (N34 billion bailout) money to pay the salaries of workers, retirees and pensioners.

    “All the projects he claimed to have executed are half done; he is only using propaganda to govern Osun State. That is why we are rejecting the government of Aregbesola.”

    Another member of the group, Bishop Seun Adeoye, added: “My chairman has said it all. We are saying the National Assembly should come and save us from the situation in Osun…”

    ‘No protest can diminish governor’s credibility’

    The Bureau of Communication and Strategy in the Office of the Governor yesterday said the protesters against Aregbesola were shameless individuals who had exhausted their wits in the alleged plot to set the state ablaze.

    A statement last night in Osogbo, the state capital, by the bureau’s director, Mr Semiu Okanlawon, noted that there were sufficient instances of good governance and financial prudence the Aregbesola administration had put in place that could help to tackle Nigeria’s complex challenges.

    The bureau said it was not surprised that after several months the group “had been boxed to a corner of irrelevance” it found another avenue to demonstrate its ignorance of public finance and the workings of governance in Osun State.

    The statement noted that one of the protesters’ suspected paymasters was summoned to Abuja on Monday on some allegations.

    It said: “We have no doubt in our minds that they have become butts of jokes and no one of repute listens to them again. When they started, they deceived some people into giving them audience, but since all they have presented against Aregbesola are no more than the same unsubstantiated hogwash they have been purveying, they have lost the confidence and audience of reasonable Nigerians.”

    The bureau asked rhetorically: “How could anyone accuse Aregbesola’s government of the debt profile this bunch of people parade for Osun?”

     

  • Budget 2016: Senate justifies N115b National Assembly vote

    Budget 2016: Senate justifies N115b National Assembly vote

    The Senate yesterday justified the allocation of N115 billion for the National Assembly in the 2016 budget.

    It also urged the government to explore  tax avenues to fund the N6.08 trillion budget.

    Making his contribution in continuation of the debate of the general principle of the 2016 Appropriation Bill, Senate Chief Whip, Senator Olusola Adeyeye, said N115billion allocation to the National Assembly represents only 1.8 per cent of the total budget figure of N6.08 trillion.

    He said some of those who criticised the allocation spoke as if the vote was provided for senators and members of the House of Representatives alone to share.

    The Osun Central lawmaker said the provision was also made to pay the salaries and allowances of those in the National Assembly bureaucracy and agencies.

    He said: “I want to point out that I have looked at the budget and in the light of all the opprobrium that has been heaped on the National Assembly in the press, I want to report that this year’s budget contains a total request of N115 billion for the National Assembly. This represents only 1.8 per cent of the N6.08 trillion.”

    On how to fund the budget, he said 54 per cent of the $3.8 trillion budget will be sourced from taxation.

    He said: “If we are going to move this country forward, we must go back to what we did in the days of Obafemi Awolowo, Ahmadu Bello and Nnamdi Azikiwe.

    “Nobody in my village will go to his farm until he can produce his tax receipt, we need ingenuity to bring this to pass.”

    He said time has come to tax items such as cigarette, alcohol and imposing heavy fines on wife beaters.

    “Text messages cost N3.81 a page; if we add just N1 to a page of text message and we say that the money belongs to government, we will make billions.

    “We must install toll roads; but that is not enough because across the world, when you park at any airport, you pay per hour; we must do what the rest of the world does.

    “We must begin to tax allowances. Nigeria is the only country that shelters the bulk of the earnings of its workers and call them allowances.”

    Immediately he suggested that allowances should be taxed, the senators began to murmur and showed other signs of disapproval.

    Looking at his colleagues, Adeyey asked: “You don’t want your allowances taxed? They will be taxed. If we are going to save this country, we must reduce the cost of government.”

    He noted that “there are too many parastatals and when you look at these parastatals, many of them have failed in their missions, we continue to protect them and give them money, it is time for them to go.”