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Tag: Reps

Reps, SEC in fresh row over Sallah gifts

•Why we bought rams for lawmakers, by agency

A fresh crisis of confidence has broken out between members of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Capital Market and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) over Sallah gifts.

Members are demanding investigation into how the SEC allegedly spent millions of naira on rams.

The SEC had offered rams to the lawmakers but they rejected them and told the SEC bearer to tell the Director-General, Ms Aruma Oteh, to quit her job.

It was learnt that the Committee has reported the “curious offer of rams” to the leadership of the House.

A member of the committee said: “The SEC came to us in an unprecedented gesture because it had never sent any gift to us during festive periods.

“The commission sent a delegation to offer us rams, which we rejected.

“We simply told the leader of the delegation to tell the DG, Ms Oteh, to pack her things and go.

“That clearly to us was attemptted bribe. It was the same way the commission attempted to give us N30million and later turned against us that we demanded a bribe.

“This is a confirmation that the DG is desperate to remain in office.

“We refused her gifts; we are standing by the resolution of the House that she should leave that seat.”

Another member said: “What evidence does President Goodluck Jonathan need to confirm that SEC funds are being spent on frivolous projects?

“We have informed the leadership of the House about the development.

“We hope they will draw the attention of the Executive to this financial recklessness.

“Nigerians are complaining about the slow recovery of the capital market, yet SEC has votes for rams.

“We suspect that the purchase of the rams might run into millions again.

“As we are talking, they are still begging us to come and collect the rams.”

A third member said: “You can imagine the level of waste in SEC.

“Is it its business to buy rams at a time many people have died as a result of the collapse of the Capital Market? We want the Executive to look into this.”

But the DG’s Communication Adviser, Obi Adindu, said the commission did not offer the rams as bribes to House members.

He said: “The fact is that the leadership of SEC is operating a well-known zero tolerance policy for misconduct and that is why strengthening of the Capital Market is a key line objective of the reform agenda.

“It is a reform agenda already bearing fruits given the All-Share Index appreciating by 30 per cent between June and now.

“On the issue of Sallah gifts, there is an established practice in the commission in which the commission extends felicitations to well-wishers.

“Such issues does not belong in the public domain. It is not a SEC-only practice or tradition.

“And putting such matter in the public domain may well be an attempt to undermine lawmakers.

“What is important is that SEC has utmost respect for members of the House and we extend traditional courtesy and felicitations to them.

“And we will absolutely not associate with any effort aimed at reducing their integrity threshold or undermining them.”

November 7, 2012
Reps will encourage FG, Boko Haram dialogue – Tambuwal

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, said the House will encourage the Federal Government to engage in dialogue with the Boko Haram sect.

Tambuwal who made the statement at the Benin airport on Saturday while speaking with journalists said the move would assist in ending the wave of terrorist acts by the group.

The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that the sect recently offered to engage in dialogue with the federal government.

It also named a former head of state, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.), to lead its five-member negotiation team.

“I will encourage our leadership to engage the leadership of the sect in dialogue. Whatever will bring peace to this country, we should go for it.

“We have had more than enough bloodshed of innocent Nigerians and government should do everything possible, including dialoguing with the Boko Haram sect, to bring the killings to an end,’’ Tambuwal said.

Commenting on the call by the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) for a referendum on the proposed amendment of the 1999 Constitution, Tambuwal described it as unconstitutional.

“We are expecting that we will incorporate the views of Nigerians in the amendment, but the call by NBA for a referendum is unconstitutional.

“I am a lawyer like the President of the NBA, and I know it is unconstitutional,’’ the Speaker said.

NAN recalls that NBA President Okey Wali had criticised the high number of clauses slated for amendment.

Wali had also questioned why the National Assembly was in a hurry to amend the Constitution.

He had said this was inappropriate as President Goodluck Jonathan was yet to forward the Justice Alfa Belgore Report on Constitution Amendment to the legislative body for consideration.

November 4, 2012
Reps order total closure of Kogi Assembly

The House of Representatives on Thursday ordered the full closure of the Kogi State House of Assembly pending the report of its mediation on the crisis rocking the House.

The lawmakers in a letter directed the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, the Director General of the State Security Service (SSS), Ekpenyong Ita and other relevant security agencies to ensure full compliance with its order.

The letter dated October 30, 2012 was signed by the Deputy Chief Whip and Chairman House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee to mediate in the Kogi State House of Assembly crisis, Hon Murktar Ahmed.

The same letter was also addressed to all members of the Kogi State House of Assembly and the Clerk of the House.

The lawmaker also directed the Clerk of the House and all other supporting staff of the Assembly not to recognize any group of members or its leadership pending the outcome of the Ad-Hoc committee’s mediation.

It would be recalled that 12 members of the 25 member Kogi Assembly last month sat and impeached the Speaker of the House, Hon Abdullahi Bello and other principal officers of the House.

The action of the members has been variously condemned as illegal.

Analysts have said the group did not meet the mandatory two- third majority members required to carry out the impeachment.

November 1, 2012
Reps kick over unutilised N120bn subsidy fund

• May restructure SURE-P mandate

The House of Representatives has discovered N120billion in the coffers of the Subsidy Re-Investment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) unutilised. The Reps are unimpressed by the situation especially when there are hundreds of projects across the country in need of the agency’s intervention.

The agency, headed by Dr.Christopher Kolade, was set up early in the year by the Federal Government to execute projects that will cushion the effects of the partial removal of fuel subsidy on the generality of Nigerians.

The Reps are shocked that the agency has is yet to fully utilise funds allocated to it from the partial withdrawal of fuel subsidy. The organisation has a budget of N180 billion fort his year out of which it has accessed N120b.

The chairman of the SURE-P Committee, Kolade, reportedly told the House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) that it had disbursed N37b since July to contractors handling its various intervention projects while it plans to spend another N20b by the end of this month.

At the meeting with the committee, he said one of the reasons for the inability of the committee to fully utilise its funds is the process of settling contractors handling its projects.

He said: “We have to comprehensively verify job done by the contractors before we pay and that is part of the reasons why we haven’t been able to go faster than where we are now. We want the fund to affect the lives of Nigerians positively in line with its mandate, so we do not want to pay for what we cannot confirm”.

The House Committee expressed concern over interventions by the programme in projects already being handled by ministries, noting that it amounts to paying for inefficiency and corruption. The lawmakers said Nigerians are eager to see interventions by the Programme distinct from MDAs like the defunct Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF).

The chairman of the House Committee, Dakuku Peterside, however, urged Nigerians to be patient with the organisation as the House would do all it can to make the programme impactful.

He said: “Before they were inaugurated the government had identified areas of intervention and had to mind where those finds would be deployed for intervention but we sincerely believed that it could have been done diffidently. We, however, have to look that up again and take it up at our Committee level and of course make a proposal to the House.

“To assess SURE-P from the perspective of the short period they have been in existence, one might have a different impression. We have to look at it from the perceptive of their mandate.

“If we look at their mandate against their performance so far, you will come to the same conclusion that they have done well. But what we are saying is that there is something fundamentally wrong with that mandate and that mandate should change. The process should change.

“At our Committee level, we will look at the mandate and its process critically to see whether the structure is giving us the desired result or not, is the best for the Nigerian people and whether it is meeting the aspirations of the generality of our people. There are questions that must be answered.”

On the legality of the SURE-P that was raised by some of the lawmakers during the meeting, Peterside pointed out that the President has the power to put in place mechanisms to actualise his missions and SURE-P is one of such.

“We realise that SURE-P is one of such vehicles established to actualise the objective of channeling the funds realised from the partial removal of fuel subsidy to the amelioration of the lot of Nigerians.”

October 28, 2012
Reps pass bill to limit National Awards recipients

The House of Representatives yesterday passed a bill to limit the number of recipients of the National Honours Awards through second reading.

The bill sponsored by the Minority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, was titled: ” A bill for an Act to amend the Honours Warrant of the Subsidiary Legislation of the National Honours Act, Cap.43, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 to provide for the limit to the numbers of persons appointed to the different Ranks of the Order in any year and Related Matters.”

The bill was referred to the House Committee on Governmental Affairs.

Gbajabiamila said the award has been denigrated to a level of penality.

According to him, it should be for extra ordinary achievement, and certain standards and it should not be limited to people in the private sector but also be open to people in the public sector.

The lawmaker said the number of annual recipients is much and ought to be trimmed down.

Two members of the House Sanni Kalgo and Samson Ogbu objected to some aspects of the proposed bill, saying it was an effort to reduce the power of the President to confer national award on any citizen he considers deserving.

But Speaker Aminu Tambuwal said: “What the bill chooses to do is set a standard and not to limit the powers of the President.”

October 17, 2012
Reps to pass bill to establish Commission for flood, erosion

•Dickson signs supplementary budget

A bill to establish a commission for flood and erosion yesterday passed the second reading at the House of Representatives.

The bill, which was sponsored by a member, Uzoma Abonta, was referred to the Uche Ekwunife-led House Committee on Environment for further legislative input.

“A bill for a Act to provide for the establishment of the Coastal Erosion and Flood Control Commission, and to vest it with the responsibility for the control and management of coastal erosion and flood and for other related matters” was supported by most of the members on the floor.

Abonta, presenting the bill, said the commission has become imperative.

He said: “Like the bill suggests, we should have the commission that will handle such disasters. The problem of flood cannot be overemphasised. We have seen the damaging effect of flood on our nation. States like Lagos, Delta, Edo, Anambra, Bayelsa, Nassrawa and others are under threat of flood.

“Farms and animals are facing serious threat from flood. We face the threat of starvation. We should seek a permanent solution. It is not something we can deal with on a temporary basis.

“Therefore, I think that the management of the total fund, which is very huge, is important. If you look at the budget, a lot of money is being voted for the threat and there is no agency to manage the fund. If we do not plan to mitigate the floods we might run into trouble in future.”

The Deputy Leader, Leo Ogor and other members, such as Nkiruka Onyejeocha, Garuba Datti Mohammed and Abubarkar Momoh, threw their weight behind the bill.

Ogor said: “As we speak, more than 18 to 19 states are submerged under flood. What are the solutions to it? This bill seeks to find a final solution. We should stop throwing money at a problem whenever it occurs. We should be proactive. The management of the Ecological funds is not transparent.”

The lawmaker said the incursion of the floods have security implications. He added: “There is another major issue facing us which is the issue of hunger. If we have a commission or agency that will advise us on this issue, we will not have this kind of problems with management of the situation.”

Onyejeocha said if the bill had come up two years ago, “it may not have succeeded as we have said we will no longer support the setting up of agencies and commissions. But the present realities show we need it”.

He added: “As for the Ecological Funds, who are those managing it? Already we have funds meant for ecological problems but it is not well managed.

If we have a specialised commission, the funds may be put under it and it will be well management. If we have a commission to manage erosion and floods, it will be more effective.”

Betty Apiafi drew the attention of the members to the fact that the scope of the bill was narrow.

She said: “ The Ministry of Environment is in charge of such matters. If an agency or ministry designated for a particular role is not working, we should ask why. If Nigeria Meteorological Agency had broadcasted that we will have flood, what did the Ministry of Environment do about it? Why have we not built buffer dams? Setting up another agency is not the solution. The funds meant for that could be used to make the existing ones effective.”

Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson has signed the 2012 State Supplementary Appropriation Bill into law.

Speaking shortly after signing the bill at the Executive Council chambers of the Government House, Yenagoa, Dickson said the Bill was initiated to enable government tackle the challenges posed by the flood disaster.

He said: “In accordance with the law, government secured an approval of two-third majority of the State House of Assembly to spend 1.5 billion naira from the State Compulsory Savings Account.

“It is good to save. And because we have actually been saving…Outside this month alone, what we are going to put into that fund, the compulsory saving scheme is about 3.5billion naira.

“I had to request the Bayelsa house of Assembly in accordance with the laws that the House should by Two-Third majority grant our request to spend 1.5 billion naira from our savings to address some of the immediate challenges posed by the crisis.”

The Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Benson Kombowei, said the house passed the bill two days after its receipt.

Kombowei said the timely passage of the Bill was to enable government immediately cushion the effects of the flood.

October 17, 2012
Reps won’t rubberstamp 2013 budget –Tambuwal

• Denies disloyalty charge

The office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives yesterday insisted that the National Assembly and not the executive arm, has the final say on the budget.

In the latest of the broadsides exchanged by both sides since the Wednesday presentation of the 2013 budget proposals to the legislative arm by President Goodluck Jonathan, the Special Adviser on Media to Speaker Aminu Tambuwal, Mallam Imam Imam hoped that the President does not “share the overzealous and rather morbid views and sentiments of Dr. Doyin Okupe and some of his co-travellers in the President’s media office” on the power of the National Assembly on the budget.

Dr. Okupe, the Presidential Special Adviser on Communication had, in a statement, dismissed the positions of Senate President David Mark and Speaker Tambuwal on the insistence of the Presidency that the federal legislators should pass the proposals the way they were presented as wrong.

The two presiding officers immediately replied him as playing to the gallery and striving to justify his pay.

But in an update yesterday, Imam said: “Since the presentation of the 2013 budget by President Goodluck Jonathan to the joint sitting of the National Assembly last Wednesday, some members of the President’s media team have come up with what can best be described as hysterical responses to the remarks made by Senate President, Senator David Mark and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.

“From innuendos to outright insults, the President’s media managers, led by Dr. Doyin Okupe, sought to denigrate the submissions of the two leaders of the National Assembly who in their estimation, had the temerity to tell their guests gathered at the Green Chamber that fateful Wednesday that not all things were right with past budgets and that more was expected from the Executive arm of government in the future.

“It is worth mentioning here that Mark and Tambuwal’s speeches were made with the best of intentions aimed at finding lasting solutions to the myriad of socio-economic problems confronting the nation.

“Speaker Tambuwal, who gave the vote of thanks in his capacity as the Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly, toed the line of the Senate President and Chairman of the National Assembly, Senator Mark, to lay on the table, the fears of Nigerians and how the National Assembly thinks those fears can be better allayed.

“The Speaker rightly asserted that as elected representatives of the people, the legislators, representing 469 federal constituencies and senatorial districts of the country, have closer interaction with the nooks and crannies of the nation. In essence, the legislature, more than any arm of government, is privileged to feel the people’s pulse more intensely and feel same on behalf and for the benefit and guidance of all the other arms of government.

“It is therefore highly incongruous to now turn around and say such views showed disrespect to the person and office of the President.

“It is appropriate to state here that section 81 (1), (4) as well as section 83 (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) classify the proposed budget documents by the President as mere ‘estimate’ and therefore only a constitutional amendment can alter this. The phrase ‘mere’ as used by Senator Mark was not intended to demean, rather it only distinguishes between a document of finality and a proposal. It is therefore mischievous to read meanings other than those intended.

“On the oil benchmark which the House made it clear it will set at $80 per barrel, all variables were considered in arriving at the figure. The chairman of the House Committee on Finance, Abdulmumini Jibrin, has since availed the public such superior variables which apparently may not have been countenanced by those who drafted the estimate.

“As for the poor implementation of the capital budget for 2012 which Dr. Okupe brazenly attributed to non-utilization of already released votes, there could be no better self-indictment, as all the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) that ought to execute these projects are all under the Executive watch and control.”

“The assertion that the National Assembly will not rubber stamp the estimates as stated by the Senate President was intended to clear the erroneous impression created in the minds of the public by military apologists in the corridors of power that the laying of the estimate by the President is akin to budget broadcast by a military dictator which is only a notice and to enlighten the people. But for the avoidance of doubt, by the clear provisions of section 59 subsection 4 of the constitution, the legislature has the FINAL say on the budget document.

“As clearly stated in the past and for the avoidance of any doubt, Speaker Tambuwal is not on a popularity contest with any official of government. Instead, he embodies the wishes and aspiration of the Nigerian people, and expresses, at every point, only the position of the members of the House of Representatives.

“On the rather funny issue of alleged Tambuwal’s disloyalty to the PDP which one of the aides raised in a newspaper article, nothing can be farther from the truth. It is safe to say here that Nigerians are tired of worn out sentiments dished out to them at every given opportunity in order to justify unnecessary attacks on the person of the Number Four Citizen of Nigeria.

“As seen during the budget presentation, of all those who spoke at the event, only the Speaker recognised the presence of the PDP National Chairman in his order of protocol while delivering his vote of thanks. As a matter of fact, this loyal gesture drew the ire of opposition lawmakers who shouted ‘Nay’ repeatedly to show their disapproval at the Speaker’s recognition of his party chairman.

“In conclusion, let me state here that the level of discourse emanating from the President’s public affairs managers is not only unbecoming of the requirement of the highest office in the land, it shows lack of depth in the understanding of public issues and governance generally including even the rudiments of democracy and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Dr. Okupe especially is proving to have learnt nothing and forgotten nothing from his days of political participation during transition of military dictatorships and into civilian democracy. With due respect, we call on Dr. Okupe and his other attack dogs to change their orientation, they can do this by making friends with the copy of the constitution. In the event they feel that this is cumbersome, they should, in the alternative, subject their opinions to vetting by those who are more conversant with the hallowed document”.

October 14, 2012
Reps to probe Otedola’s AMCON payment

…Set up panel

The House of Representatives on Thursday set up an eight-member panel to investigate the payment of N140.9 billion to Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria by businessman Femi Otedola.

Speaker Aminu Tambuwal named the members of the panel to investigate the transaction which took place during the end of legislative year recess of the House.

The Minority Leader of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, heads the panel.

Other members are Sani Kalgo, Idris Wase, Jerry Manwe, Pally Iriase, Muraina Ajibola, Evelyn Ojakovo and Uzo Azubuike.

The House had criticized the N140.9 billion debt settlement deal between Otedola and AMCON, saying the transaction was suspect.

The payment, which was credited to AMCON’s managing director, Mustafa Chike-Obi, was Otedola’s outstanding debt to the corporation.

Obi confirmed that AMCON board approved the transfer of Otedola’s assets as well as undisclosed cash to the corporation as full payment and final settlement of his liabilities.

The House, however, said the transaction was done with “confidentiality and secrecy” and that “the National Assembly would be interested in getting full details of the transaction.”

According to the House, the procedure was unacceptable.

“It is curious that AMCON, being a government establishment, which is under the purview of the National Assembly, could do that without the knowledge of the House,” Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Zakari Mohammed, had said.

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October 11, 2012
Reps invite IGP over Mubi, Rivers killings

The House of Representatives yesterday condemned the recent attack on students of the Federal Polytechnic, Mubi, Adamawa State and last weekend’s mob killing of four students of the University of Port Harcourt.

It invited the Inspector General of Police, (IGP), Mohammed Abubakar over the killings.

The police chief is to brief the House committee on Police Affairs and the committee will in turn report to the House.

No date has been fixed for the IG’s appearance.

Members also observed a minute silence in honour of the dead students and resolved to send a delegation to Mubi and Port Harcourt to commiserate with the government and families of the slain students.

The team will also visit Maiduguri, where over 30 people, including soldiers were killed on Monday.

The IG is to brief the House Committee on the inability of the police to prevent or intervene while the attacks lasted. He is also to explain the absence of the police and security agencies within the vicinity of the attacks.

The resolution was sequel to the adoption of the prayers of motion by a lawmaker, Abubakar Wamba, who wondered at the motive behind the killing of over 40 students of the Polytechnic in Mubi, Adamawa State,

Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairperson of the House Committee on the Diaspora, noted that the actions of both Port Harcourt and Mubi attackers had gone far to demonstrating the fast degenerating level of our value system,

According to her, the security service were to blame mainly for their non-responsive attitude during such emergencies.

“When we look at what happened in Mubi and Port Harcourt, especially, you can see we have lost our moral values. In view of all the killings that happened, the House should ensure that it is not business as usual,” she said.

October 10, 2012
2012 budget: Reps frown at poor release of funds to power sector

The face off between the Executive and the Legislative arms over poor implementation of the 2012 budget seems unending, as the House of Representatives Committee on Power yesterday said budget implementation of the sector fell short of the Appropriation Act.

The Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Ibrahim Ebbo, said after carrying out over- sight function in six different locations in the power sector, the committee’s findings showed that the implementation of the 2012 budget, oscilates between 34 and 40 per cent of the budget, less than three months to the end of the financial year.

Speaking with newsmen after a visit by members of his Committee to the Shiroro Hydro Power station, the Chairman stated that the development was not acceptable to the National Assembly and the country, adding that only 49.8 per cent of what was appropriated was released to them.

Describing the situation as outright violation of an Act of the Parliament, Ebbo warned that the national assembly will not hesitate to sanction relevant authourities for their failure to adhere to and implement a law duly passed by the National Assembly.

“My assessment on the impementation of the 2012 budget in the power sector is very pathetic. Here we are approving hundreds of billions of naira and we are still implementing at 34 -40 per cent. This is not acceptable at all. If I have my way, I will say there is no implementation of the 2012 budget in the sector.

“That is not an acceptable situation especially since we are in October when all the funds should have been released. Any moment now, the President will be bringing the 2013 budget, and here we are dabbling with just 30 – 40 per cent implementation of the 2012 budget.’’

He said the budget allocated to the Shiroro Hydro-electrical Power Station, showed that out of the N734,606,123 appropriated, only N365,901,817 was released to the station.

Earlier the Chief Executive Officer of Shiroro Hydro-electrical Power Station , Daudu Abdul-Aziz, told the lawmakers that the station has only received N365,901,817 (49.8 percent) out of the N734,606,123 appropriated for in the 2012 budget, only N365,901,817.

Abdul-Aziz further said that out the funds released, the station has utilized N225,345,986 (61.6 percent) but disclosed that only the allocations for the first and third quarters were released while the second quarter was still pending.

October 9, 2012