The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Reps

  • Crude oil shortfall: Reps to probe Alison-Madueke, NNPC

    Crude oil shortfall: Reps to probe Alison-Madueke, NNPC

    The House of Representatives is to investigate claims by the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison-Madueke that $20.9 billion was realized from the sales of crude oil between January and September this year.

    The lawmakers said documents available did not support the minister’s claims.

    Besides, the lawmakers emphasized the need to unravel the non-disclosure of production and proceeds from gas by the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)

    The Chairman, House Committee on Finance, Abdulmumin Jibrin, said the claim of $20.9 billion realized from crude sale by Alison-Madueke was as a ruse, calculated to mislead Nigerians.

    According to him, Nigerians would rather prefer the minister to explain how the nation fell short of N321b in its revenue from oil in the same period.

    He said the reason for the investigation was aimed at encouraging transparency and accountability in the oil and gas sector, adding that Nigerians are only interested in how much was actually going to the coffers of federal government from the said $20.9 billion.

    According to him, contrary to what Nigerians were meant to believe, official documents and figures showed that revenue targets were only barely met in the months of April when N212.029 billion was remitted with N210.202 billion in May.

     

  • Reps seek change of formula for measuring budget performance

    Reps seek change of formula for measuring budget performance

    Members of House of Representatives Committee on Finance have called on the government to change its budget performance formula.

    The legislators, who were on an assessment of the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF), yesterday expressed displeasure at what the ministry of finance and the budget office call budget performance.

    The lawmakers accused the ministry and the Budget Office of basing their budget assessment on the amount released rather than on what is budgeted.

    According to the Representatives, “the template for budget performance should be jettisoned, budget performance should not be based on releases but on budgeted figures.”

    The legislators led by Honourable Abdulmumin Jibrin noted: “Incomplete release of funds to the Ministries Departments and Agencies (MADs), especially the OAGF, will lead to non-performance, poor release of funds will lead to poor performance.”

    Using the presentation made by the AGF to the committee, the legislators were surprised that though between January and August, this year, N3.3 billion was budgeted for personnel for the OAGF, only N2.03 billion had so far been released and used by the OAGF with a budget performance rating of 100 per cent.

    For the first, second and third quarter capital releases for the OAGF, N43million was budgeted for the purchase of a “power generating set”, but as at September 25, N20,546,228.52 had been released. Of this amount, only N18,100,203.90 had expended spent with a performance rating of 88 per cent.

    Rather than use the money to measure budget performance, the legislators said they prefer the budgeted figure, adding that it will give a true picture of how a budget is performing.

    For the construction /provision of public schools, N401,494,437.00 was budgeted but N191,844,691.09 was released while only N127,711,310 had been expended on the project with a performance rating of 67 per cent.

    Earlier, the OAGF Mr Jonah Otunla canvassed the retention of a single office of Accountant-General for both the Federal Government and the federation.

    Otunla noted: “Splitting the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF) from the federal ministry of finance will trivialise the work of the government.”

  • Diplomatic passport: Senators, Reps still on eligibility list

    Diplomatic passport: Senators, Reps still on eligibility list

    DESPITE the row over moves to review issuance of diplomatic passports by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), there were indications yesterday that senators and members of the House of Representatives are still on the eligibility list.

    The Presidency, however, alleged that the House of Representatives actually initiated the process to review issuance of diplomatic passports in 2012 because of abuse by some Nigerians.

    Also, the NIS through its Public Relations Officer, Chukwuemeka Obua (CSI) yesterday said the Immigration Service was yet to receive directive from the Federal Government to review the guidelines for diplomatic passports.

    Members of the National Assembly are still on eligibility list, it was learnt.

    A source in Immigration Service said: “We have not tampered with eligibility list at all. By our records, members of the National Assembly are still on the list of beneficiaries of diplomatic passports.

    “We have had cases of abuse but they had nothing to do with Assembly members.

    “We need to clarify this because we do not want a crisis between the Executive and the Judiciary.”

    A source in the presidency, who spoke with our correspondent, said it was the House of Representatives which initiated the review of the process of issuing diplomatic passports in 2012.

    The source added: “In 2012, the House Committee on Interior organised a public hearing on a bill seeking to amend Passport (Miscellaneous Provision) Act Cap. P1 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

    “The lawmakers wanted the list of diplomatic Passport holders to be scaled down. The legislators also demanded a reduction of the discretionary powers of the President to issue diplomatic passports to any Nigerian.

    “Actually at the hearing, the Chairman, House Committee on Interior, Bature Umar said some holders of diplomatic passports had abused the privilege. He said there was need to review the process of its acquisition.

    Bitrus Kaze (PDP Plateau), who also spoke at the hearing, said “the amendment is just to situate those suitable.”

    “So, where is the fault of the presidency? Why are they now crying over what they initiated? All those who participated at the hearing are alive. Nigerians should speak with them.”

    The Nigeria Immigration Service, through Obua (CSI) yesterday said it was yet to receive directive from the Federal Government to review the guidelines for diplomatic passports

    The statement said: “For the avoidance of doubt, the NIS wishes to categorically sate that extant guidelines on the issuance of such travel documents have not been changed and are firmly in place.

    “No instruction has been received to review the guidelines to target any segment or category of Nigerians. Members of the National Assembly are being issued Diplomatic passports upon application.

    “The NIS hereby urges all to endeavour to cross check very sensitive matters such as this before rushing to press to avoid heating up the polity and causing unnecessary disaffection.

    “We are committed to acting professionally in the performance of our statutory duties under the guidance of relevant laws and guidelines.”

     

  • Reps’ Committee warns EFCC, others for stalling corruption probe

    Reps’ Committee warns EFCC, others for stalling corruption probe

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) have deliberately refused to be investigated, the House of Representatives Committee on Drugs, Narcotics ad Financial Crimes has said.

    It noted that the refusal has hampered investigation into how much has been recovered in assets from persons and organisations arrested and convicted of drug-related and financial crimes.

    Its Chairman, Adams Jagaba, said the House was inundated with complaints from the public on the need to know the assets the commission has seized.

    He said this made it compelling for the committee to find out the status of the assets the commission has seized and recovered since 2003.

    The committee also accused the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) as well as Estate Derivates of slowing down investigations.

    Jagaba, in a statement yesterday, noted that the EFCC has used its powers, contained in Sections 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26 and 34 of the EFCC Act 2004, as amended, to seize and forfeit the assets and property of arrested and convicted persons and organisations.

    He said the committee was not acting on its own but was mandated by the House.

    The chairman said his committee has been fair to all parties, though some of them had not been cooperative.

    Jagaba said: “By a resolution of the House on February 28, the Committee on Drugs, Narcotics ad Financial Crimes was mandated to carry out an investigation on the status of all assets seized and recovered by the EFCC since inception and report back to the House within four weeks.

  • PDP crisis: Senators, Reps may lose diplomatic passports

    PDP crisis: Senators, Reps may lose diplomatic passports

    There is no let up in the war of attrition wracking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as it has emerged the Federal Government is set to withdraw diplomatic passports issued to all members of the National Assembly – 109 senators and 360 members of the House of Representatives.

    The Presidency has directed the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to “review” the diplomatic passports of the legislators.

    The move, sources say, is one of the strategies to “whip Senators and Representatives” into line and secure their loyalty.

    Following the eruption of the crisis in the ruling party, government has been uncomfortable with the romance between the ‘New PDP’ faction led by one-time Acting National Chairman, Abubakar Kawu Baraje and the opposition in the National Assembly.

    Besides the disruption last week of the visit of Group of Seven (G-7) governors and Baraje faction to the National Assembly, as well as the sacking of the Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Joy Emordi, the ongoing review of the diplomatic passports is said to be part of a crackdown on the ‘disloyal’ members of the National Assembly.

    The present exclusive travel document carried by the lawmakers is a product of an executive memo issued by the late President Umaru Yar’Adua in 2008 directing the NIS to grant members of the National Assembly diplomatic passports. The passports were, however, to be automatically withdrawn after the tenure of the holders in the National Assembly.

    Although the NIS had always been finding it difficult to retrieve the diplomatic passports from former members of the Assembly, the privilege had been “major bait” being used by the Executive to stabilise its relationship with the lawmakers.

    Sources within the administration told The Nation on Sunday that the Presidency was uncomfortable with what they referred to as the “treacherous attitude” of certain members of the National Assembly – particularly those who have openly pitched their tent with ‘New PDP’.

    Some principal officers of the National Assembly have been informed of plans to review the diplomatic passports of members. “I am aware that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal and some principal officers have been informally notified,” one lawmaker who craved anonymity said.

    A few members of the House who were shocked at the turn of events believe government was hiding under the supposedly wholesale review to target anti-presidency lawmakers.

    “We learnt the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Nigeria Immigration Service have been put on notice over plans to review issuance of diplomatic passports”, the source said. “It is an issue we are going to discuss at the Executive Session after we have returned from our one week oversight function.

    “Since we started using diplomatic passports, the National Assembly has not recorded any case of abuse. We don’t know why the Presidency is trying to score political points with this.”

    A senior official in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who spoke in confidence, however, denied knowledge of the development. “It may interest you to know that our ministry has nothing to do with the issuance of diplomatic passport. In fact, if I want a diplomatic passport, my ministry would have to write the Nigeria Immigration Service to issue it to me.

    “Do leave this ministry out of this issue; we have no role to play,” he said.

    At the Immigration office a senior official who promised to clarify the matter by Monday morning, however, raised question as to the propriety of issuing the special travel documents to the legislators in the first place.

    “Are members of the National Assembly entitled to diplomatic passports at all?” he asked. “Go and look at the convention guiding the issuance of diplomatic passports all over the world. The truth is, members of the National Assembly do not belong to the category of people that should carry diplomatic passport.

    “It is only in Nigeria we have this kind of nonsense. People want immunity for notorious reasons. I know some big men go about with diplomatic passports. When I was working at the airport, I was shocked when I saw a rogue with one. We should learn to do things in line with international best practices.”

    Another Immigration officer said: “We have our records showing that the Premier of the defunct Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Premier of the former Northern Region, Sir Ahmadu Bello (the Sardauna of Sokoto) and the Premier of the defunct Eastern Region, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, did not use diplomatic passports while in office. Are any of these lawmakers in the class of these great leaders?”

    A brief obtained on issuance of diplomatic passports reads in part: “Diplomatic passports are official documents normally given to professional diplomats and ambassadors by their governments, to facilitate their work when they are on posting to foreign countries. Its issuance is governed by rules under the 1815 Congress of Vienna that formalised the exchange of diplomatic agents among states.

    “These rules are very restrictive and limit the issuance of diplomatic passports only to professional diplomats who are the personal representatives of their heads of state. Those to whom such passports are given are assumed to be persons of undoubted character and integrity.”

     

  • Reps Deputy Speaker Ihedioha joins Imo governorship race

    DEPUTY Speaker of the House of Representative, Rt. Hon Emeka Ihedioha, yesterday broke the silence on his rumoured governorship ambition in Imo State. In a well-attended town hall meeting, held in his country home in Mbutu, Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area of the state, Ihedioha, who was urged to join the race by his kinsmen, described the call by his people as a ‘conscription’ into the race. According to him, “my commitment to my people will not waiver. I won’t disappoint you. The voice of the people is the voice of gods. I will go back and consult with my political associates, and after my consultations I will get back to you.” Earlier, Dr Joe Ndu, who read an address on behalf of Mbaise people, said the choice of Ihedioha was influenced by his track record of achievements, noting that, “he will provide a government that will demonstrate a noticeable ability to halt and reverse the unemployment and pauperization of the state.”

  • ‘Senators, Reps must respect contract with Nigerians’

    The Presidency yesterday urged members of the National Assembly to honour their social contract with Nigerians to enable the nation enjoy good governance.

    It said President Goodluck Jonathan was committed to his promise to ensure that budget estimates are submitted and passed early to make implementation begin at the beginning of the New Year.

    The Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Affairs, Senator Joy Emodi, said the National Assembly members should be focused on their duties to the nation.

    She spoke yesterday in Abuja when she welcomed senators and House of Representatives’ members back to the National Assembly after about eight weeks’ recess.

    Mrs Emodi said: “Importantly, distinguished senators and honourable members should hold fast to their mindset that they have a social contract with Nigerians to deliver on good governance and partner Mr President to transform Nigeria…

    “This social contract transcends partisanship. Therefore, party politics and intrigues should not be allowed to creep in to blemish the great work they have done so far.

    “Party platforms and intra-party interests may differ, but their social contract with the Nigerian people remains the same.

    “It is a contract that overrides party politics. The total loyalty and commitment of members of the National Assembly should as always, reside with the Constitution and the Nigerian people who elected them in the first place.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Uproar in House over Baraje’s faction’s proposed visit

    Uproar in House over Baraje’s faction’s proposed visit

    The House of Representatives on Tuesday returned from a long recess to a rowdy session when a letter by Alhaji Kawu Baraje’s faction of the Peoples Democratic Party requesting to visit the House was read by the Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal.

    The Speaker, however, revealed that a letter requesting a meeting with the leadership of the House and PDP Caucus written by the chairman of the PDP was withdrawn early Tuesday morning.

    If Bamanga Tukur had not withdrawn the letter, both factions would have been meeting with the lawmakers about the same time.

    The new PDP’s letter which was signed by Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola brought proceedings to an abrupt halt and set members off in a riotous shouting match that halted proceedings for almost 30 minutes.

    The Speaker in his opening speech lamented the level of budget implementation, saying it “remains a sore point of governance,” and that implementation of the 2013 capital appropriation “is way below expectation.”

    According to him, all committees of the House will proceed on one week of oversight to Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDA).

    The members also passed a vote of confidence on the Speaker and all members of the leadership in the House to demonstrate that there is unity in the House.

     

  • APC Reps to resist plot to oust leadership, weaken opposition

    APC Reps to resist plot to oust leadership, weaken opposition

    Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the House of Representatives have said they would resist the moves by those they called external forces to weaken the opposition and destabilise the leadership in the House.

    A top ranking opposition member in the House, who spoke in confidence, alleged that some external forces planned to remove major figures in the leadership of the House on its resumption from the two-month recess.

    The member said the move would be resisted because the opposition has always been the backbone of the House.

    He said: “We have discovered that some people outside the House have perfected a plot to weaken the leadership of the APC with the ultimate goal of ousting the Speaker.

    “By dividing the ranks of the APC, they want to hit at the strong support base the of the leadership.

    “We have found out that they have already recruited some members of the APC to destabilise the leadership and cause confusion.”

     

     

     

     

     

  • Senators, Reps, Speakers back Assembly

    Senators, Reps, Speakers back Assembly

    The National Assembly caucus of Taraba State and the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria (CSSLN) are in support of the Taraba State House of Assembly on its stand that Alhaji Garba Umar remains acting governor.

    They affirmed that while Mr.Danbaba Suntai is the undisputed governor,the State Assembly was constitutionally right to mandate Alhaji Umar to continue in office until Mr.Suntai is medically fit to resume.

    They warned external influences against exploiting the situation to the detriment of the people of the state.

    Addressing reporters at the House of Representatives yesterday, Senator Abubakar Tutare said the unfolding political melodrama in the state is unfortunate, shameful and uncalled for.

    Tutare was flanked by the House of Representatives Majority Whip, Ishaka Bawa, Ibrahim El Sudi and Aminu Malle, while Jerry Manwe, Albert Sam-Tsokwa and two Senators missed the briefing.

    The state has nine members in the National Aseembly made up of three Senators and six Representatives.

    Five members signed the statement of the position of the caucus.

    According to Tutare, being leaders that ought to have unbiased opinions, mature judgments and enlightened conscience, the state must be seen to be bigger and greater than one single individual or group of individuals.

    He said rather than be concerned about bringing development to the state, “we are busy politicking with the health of our amiable Governor His Excellency, Danbaba Suntai. Rather than uniting our people who are peace-loving, dynamic and enterprising, we are busy dividing them and creating unnecessary tension for selfish reasons.

    “Rather than praying for Governor Danbaba’s speedy recovery, we are busy scheming, outsmarting and outwitting each other for selfish aggrandizement or the unknown 2015.

    “As concerned Tarabans in the National Assembly, we sat and deliberated over the negative media hype pervading the already charged political atmosphere in the country and hereby plead with the various political gladiators within and outside Taraba to allow peace to prevail in the state.

    “Our position is that His Excellency Danbaba Danfulani Suntai is and remains the undisputed Executive Governor of Taraba State.

    “Alhaji Garba Umar should continue serving as Acting Governor as constitutionally enshrined until Governor Danbaba is convincingly fit to steer the affairs of the state.

    “Without prejudice to the legality or otherwise of the action of the members of the Taraba State House of Assembly, we hereby commend the bold, gallant, resolute and patriotic steps taken by the Taraba State House of Assembly under the leadership of the courageous Speaker, Haruna Tsokwa”.

    Besides, the federal lawmakers noted that the health and welfare of Suntai ought be of utmost importance to those who love the ailing governor, including the political gladiators, individuals and groups.

    They urged the Taraba State Government to continue to take responsibility of his health expenses and all other personal responsibilities as they may arise.

    While pleading with elder statesmen and highly placed persons from the state to, as a matter of urgency, converge to proffer solutions to the political impasse, the lawmakers advised external forces, unless for the purposes of bringing peace to the state, to desist from involving themselves in the affairs of the state.

    Similarly, the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria (CSSLN) said the decision of the Taraba State House of Assembly to ascertain the health status of Governor Suntai is in order and constitutional.

    The conference, however, urged the state assembly to stand firm on its decision.

    Chairman of the conference and Speaker of the Gombe State House of Assembly, Inuwa Garba, who spoke in Abuja yesterday also warned against external influences that might want to destabilise the state through the unfolding situation.

    He asked members of the state assembly to “stay firm in doing what is constitutionally right in the prevailing circumstance,” and all stakeholders to “resist any undue internal and external interference capable of creating religious, ethnic and political discord.”