The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Saraki

  • How we knew property bought in firms’ names belong to Saraki, by witness

    How we knew property bought in firms’ names belong to Saraki, by witness

    A prosecution witness in the trial of Senate President Bukola Saraki before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) explained yesterday how investigators linked Saraki to some property acquired in his companies’ names.

    Michael Wetkas said one of such property on 1, Targus Close, Maitama, Abuja acquired through Carlisle Properties and Investments Limited, which Saraki declared as one of those in which he has interest.

    The witness, who is spending about 10 days under cross-examined by the defence, was specifically cross-examined yesterday on “Count 6” of the 16 count-charge on which Saraki was being tried.

    Before yesterday, Wetkas, who was part of the team that investigated the allegation of false asset declaration against Saraki, had given evidence about how Saraki acquired some landed assets in Lagos and Abuja through his companies, including Tiny-Tee Limited and Carlisle Properties and Investments Limited.

    The witness, who was cross-examined by one of Sraki’s lawyers, Paul Usoro (SAN), alleged that Saraki on assuming office as governor of Kwara State in 2003 failed to  declare his property at 1, Targus Close, Maitama, Abuja, which he allegedly acquired through Carlisle Properties and Investments Limited in 1993.

    Usoro, in further cross-examination of the witness, said: “If your lordships look at Count 6, it indicates that the defendant acquired this property in 1993.

    “The facts as they are coming out are showing different thing entirely. We want to achieve that Carlisle is different from the defendant.”

    Wetkas insisted that the property belonged to Saraki even when the name on the power of attorney issued in relation to the property was that of Carlisle.

     “Even if the documentation is in the name of Carlisle Properties Limited, we are of the belief that the property belongs to the defendant because, Carlisle Properties Limited is his company. And he later declared other properties, which were in the name of Carlisle as his own in the other asset declaration forms.”

    When Usoro confronted him with documents obtained from the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in relation to the property at 1, Targus Close, Maitama, Abuja, Wetkas confirmed that the two shareholders of Carlisle were Saraki’s wife, whose name was given as Oluwatoyin Ojora, and another limited liability company, Babs Trading and Manufacturing Limited.

    “The two shareholders were Babs Trading and Manufacturing Limited and Oluwatoyin Ojora. Oluwatoyin Ojora is the wife of the defendant. She confirmed that this company, Carlisle, belonged to the defendant.

    “She also told us that the company belonged to the defendant and the second director, Babs Traiding and Manufacturing Limited, is a company which the defendant declared as his own.

    “The position of Oluwatoyin Ojora that the company belonged to the defendant was confirmed by the Managing Director of Carlisle Properties Limited,” Wetkas said.

    Wetkas agreed with Usoro that Saraki’s name was not mentioned in the Form CAC 2A obtained from the CAC.

    The witness said Oluwatoyin Ojora and Babs Trading Manufacturing Limited did not relinquish nor sold their shares in the company.

    Wetkas said he did not confront Saraki with the claim that the company belonged to him.

    He also confirmed that the property at 1, Targus Close, Maitama, Abuja was the same as Plot 2482 Cadastrial Zone A06, Maitama, Abuja.

    At a point, prosecution lawyer Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) expressed discomfort about pattern of cross-examination by the defence.

    “I have never seen where cross-examination of a witness lasts for 10 days. If your lordships adjourn today, the next date will be the 11th day. This witness is broken down. He is involved in other cases,” Jacobs said.

    Lead defence lawyer Kanu Agabi (SAN) faulted Jacobs’ claim. He argued that while the prosecution was anxious to get Saraki convicted, the defence was anxious and ready to stop that through cross-examination and other legitimate means.

    Tribunal Chairman Danladi Umar adjourned to June 1 for continuation of proceedings.

  • Should Saraki step aside?

    A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), George M. Oguntade, examines whether it is right for Senate President Bukola Saraki to remain in office while undergoing trial.

    I have followed the ongoing trial of the Senate President Dr Bukola Saraki before the Code of Conduct Tribunal with great interest. As humans, in as much as we try, we are unable to fathom the inscrutable ways of providence. In the middle of allegations of false assets declaration, the recently leaked Panama Papers have linked Dr Saraki to the utiliation of the mechanism of offshore trusts and companies to acquire landed properties in the United Kindgom, and which assets would appear not to have been declared to the Nigerian people as should have been done by Dr Saraki, being a public office holder.

    Under the Constitution, it is indubitable that Dr Saraki, as an individual is clearly entitled to the presumption of innocence and that like every other Nigerian, he is entitled to his day in Court to defend any charge against him. However, Dr Saraki also happens to be the President of the Nigerian Senate, the upper legislative House vested with the duty of making laws for the order and good governance of the country.

    The Senate of Nigeria, as in many other countries operating the presidential system, is a vital organ of government. As such, it is important that the conduct and activities of its members are constantly subjected to public scrutiny and assessment. Therefore, any conduct or perception of conduct by any Senator that falls short of public expectation will be wholly unacceptable and any such Senator will be held unfit to occupy that exalted position.

    The issue that agitates the mind is whether Dr Saraki, in the light of the damning allegations against him at the tribunal as well as in the recently released Panama Papers ought in good conscience continue to occupy the office of Senate President. My position is that he should not, irrespective of the fact that he is yet to be formally indicted.

    My reason is simple enough. As the head of the highest law making body in Nigeria, it is morally wrong and against good conscience for Dr Saraki to continue to preside over law making duties while at the same time facing criminal trial over infractions of the same law. To my mind, it constitutes an aberration and a moral burden which Dr Saraki ought not to be allowed to carry despite his insistence on doing so.

    It is equally astonishing that Dr Saraki has elected to remain in office despite all these weighty allegations. He is an extremely well educated man who professes to be very versed in democratic norms and values and I would have expected that this being so, he would have done the only honorable thing that comes to mind, which is to vacate office and concentrate on defending all these allegations against him. Dr Saraki is not the first Senate President and will undoubtedly not be the last.

    However, the Senate as an institution will always remain and it is of great importance that it is protected from any form of damage. I believe that this is the singular point that Dr Saraki has failed to grasp or chosen to ignore. It is not about him as an individual, rather it is about the protection of a vital institution of Government.

    Whilst one may sympathize with Dr Saraki on the position he finds himself, and ascribe his ordeal to political opponents and detractors, as he has continually done, the real point is that Dr Saraki, having aspired to and indeed attained high public office, ought not to have put himself in any position where factual allegations of these nature are being made against him.  In the delicate situation as he now finds himself, the presumption of innocence will be of secondary importance.

    States and public institutions are more important than the office holder. This is the foundation upon which great nations and indeed institutions are built. A public holder must be and be seen to be above board all the times and the mere whiff or stain of wrongdoing, talk less of criminal infractions, no matter how unintended, must perforce result in vacation of that public office.

    This was recently demonstrated by the honourable resignation from office of the Prime Minister of Iceland, Mr Sigmundur Gunnlaugsson following the revelation in the Panama Papers that he operated an offshore trust along with his wife. He did not wait for any judicial enquiry or criminal trial to be commenced against him because of his realization that he needed to save the institution he represented from any damage. The public protest of only 18% of the Icelandic people to the revelation was all that he needed for Mr Gunnlaugsson to realize that his continued stay in office will be untenable.

    One may argue that Dr Saraki would have suffered irreparable loss if he resigns his position and is ultimately exonerated of all the charges against him. That may well be so. However, the point to be made is that he would have cleared his name and garnered public sympathy which may open up the path to the attainment of even higher office in the future.

    However, to continue holding on to the office of Senate President simultaneously at being docked for criminal infractions can only have one consequence, the continued damage to the Senate as an institution, the continued diminution of respect for Senators generally and the continued ridicule and opprobrium that Nigeria as a country will be held by other countries who are clearly watching how this unfortunate drama will end.

     
     

  • Saraki mourns Sani’s mother

    Saraki mourns Sani’s mother

    Senate President Bukola Saraki has expressed sadness over the death of Mrs. Fatima Abubakar Sani, mother of Senator Shenu Sani, representing Kaduna Central. She was 75.

    In a statement by his media aide Yusuph Olaniyonu, Saraki said Madam Sani has left a vacuum that would be difficult to fill.

    “We mourn a great woman and role model who lived her life in the service of God and humanity,” Saraki said. He urgded the children to emulate the virtuous legacies of patience, courage, compassion and selfless service left behind by their mother.

    Saraki prayed Allah to grant the deceased a place in aljannah fidaus.

  • NLC to Saraki: The strike continues

    NLC to Saraki: The strike continues

    The president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Wabba and his team, on Friday met for over 40 minutes behind closed-doors with the Senate President,  Bukola Saraki, to discuss the ongoing nationwide strike called by labour to protest the fuel price hike.

    Wabba, told reporters after the meeting that the strike which enters third day on Friday will continue until the Federal Government resumed talks with the NLC under his leadership.

    He told the Senate president that the apex labour union is ready to resume negotiation with the federal government on the matter if invitation is extended to their members.

    He denied reports that labour leaders walked out on the government’s negotiation team on Tuesday night.

    Wabba said, “We are trying to engage government in negotiations essentially about the trade issue, but importantly about the increase in the pump price of PMS from N87 to N145 and we have assured the Senate president that at no point the union leaders walked out on the government.

    “In fact when those issues were presented and the position of government was made known to us, we did not actually agree and we requested that we excuse them. “

     

     

  • How we learnt of Saraki’s London property – EFCC witness

    How we learnt of Saraki’s London property – EFCC witness

    A prosecution witness, Michael Wetkas, on Wednesday gave details of how investigators discovered that Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has a property in London, which he bought with a N375 million loan from the Guarantee Trust Bank (GTB) Plc, but allegedly failed to declare it after his tenure as governor in 2011.

    Wetkas, who spoke during cross-examination by Saraki’s lawyer, Paul Usoro (SAN), at the resumption of the false asset declaration trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), said the London property was acquired in 2010.

    He said the Senate president failed to declare the property in the asset declaration form he completed on completing his second term as Governor of Kwara State in 2011.

    The witness, an operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), said Saraki obtained the N375m loan from GTB in 2010 with which he procured the London property through a mortgage redemption payment system.

    He said there was debit entry of $1.2m on the Senate president’s dollar account in favour of the pounds sterling account on February 10, 2010 and $1m on February 15, 2010.

    Reading from Saraki’s statement of account with GTB, the witness traced how the loan disbursed in his naira account was transferred to the dollar account and later into the pounds sterling account.

    Wetkas said the EFCC foreign investigative partners “unofficially” disclosed the address of the property as No 8, Whittaker Street, London and that it had a title number NGN802235.

     

  • CCT not under influence to convict Saraki – Chairman

    CCT not under influence to convict Saraki – Chairman

    The Chairman of Code of Conduct Tribunal, Danladi Umar, on Tuesday, decried insinuations that he was being influenced to convict the Senate President, Bukola Saraki.

    Umar, who stated this in Abuja on Tuesday, promised to do justice in Saraki’s trial.

    “During Bola Tinubu’s case, we were under influence, but we did the right thing.

    “I swear by the Almighty Allah to do justice. On our part, the insinuation that we are being influenced to see the conviction of the accused is false.’’

    On the number of lawyers in Saraki’s defence team, Umar said, the records of the tribunal showed that “there are about 100 counsel standing for the defendant.’’

    He insisted that although the defence had right to have as many lawyers as they want but the tribunal had the power to regulate the conduct of counsel.

    He said there must be orderliness, adding that all the counsel may not be allowed to cross examine the witness.

    Umar stated that all the other lawyers can assist the leader of the defense team, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), rather than every other person in the defence team doing the job.

    He observed that there were many counsel cross examining a witness. This, he said, made the process untidy.

    “Henceforth, only the lead counsel, Agabi can do the cross examination. For purpose of the records of the court, it will be tidy for only the lead counsel to do the cross examination,” the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted the CCT chairman as saying on the matter.

    Lawyer to EFCC, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), had complained about the slow pace at which the defence team was handling the cross examination.

  • Saraki and super riches

    Saraki and super riches

    Who says Senate President Bukola Saraki isn’t rich? Indeed, it may be an understatement to simply describe him as rich. His lawyer, Paul Erokoro (SAN), who perhaps should know, reportedly described him as “extremely rich”. Erokoro made Saraki’s riches public during his ongoing trial for alleged false asset declaration before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Abuja.

    Saraki didn’t need to become Kwara State governor in 2003 to make mega-money, his lawyer argued. He was already super-rich by the time he became a governor, he stressed.

    A report said: “He said he had $22million, about 12million pounds, 2.6m Euro and about N4billion in cash in his various accounts.” Apart from “the liquid asset,” the report stated that ”Saraki said he also possessed landed property estimated at N2billion and 15 vehicles valued at about N263.4m”.

    The report continued: “He gave details of the vehicles he acquired as at 2003 to include: Mercedes X320, valued at N16m; Mercedes X500 worth N20m; Mercedes G500, valued at N6m; Mercedes V220 worth N2m and Ferrari456GT, valued at N25m.”

    It also said: “Others are:  Navigator, N15m, MN240 worth N8.5m; Peugeot 406, valued at N2.9m; Mercedes CLK 320 worth N9m; Mercedes E320 valued at N11m; Mercedes G500 bullet proof, worth N45m; Mercedes X500 worth N300m; Lexus Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) bullet proof, valued at N30m and Lincoln Navigator bullet proof worth N25m.”

    Who wouldn’t agree that this is indeed a rich collection of vehicles, and that only a stinking rich individual could have collected such a rich range of vehicles?

    Erokoro, based on the asset declaration form Saraki submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) in 2003, reportedly “said he needed to point out that his client was very rich before he became Kwara State governor to erase the wrong impression created by the prosecution that, he could not have acquired the property he claimed to have, without obtaining loans from banks”.

    The report then added: “The lawyer was, however, silent on the source of his client’s wealth and how he came about all the property and cash he claimed to have possessed before he became governor in 2003.”

    Isn’t that the point Saraki and his lawyer need to clarify? How did Saraki come to be so rich?  What super explanations can explain Saraki’s super wealth?

  • Saraki: I was extremely rich before becoming governor

    Saraki: I was extremely rich before becoming governor

    Witness insists Senate President made anticipatory asset declaration

    Senate President Bukola Saraki said yesterday that he was “extremely rich” before he became Kwara State governor in 2003.

    He said he had $22million, about £12million, 2.6m Euro and about N4billion in cash in his various accounts.

    Aside the liquid asset, Saraki said he also possessed landed property estimated at N2billion and 15 vehicles valued at about N263.4m.

    He gave details of the vehicles he acquired as at 2003 to include: Mercedes X320, valued at N16m; Mercedes X500 worth N20m; Mercedes G500, valued at N6m; Mercedes V220 worth 2m and Ferrari456GT, valued at N25m.

    Others are: Navigator, N15m, MN240 worth N8.5m; Peugeot 406, valued at N2.9m; Mercedes CLK 320 worth N9m; Mercedes E320 valued at N11m; Mercedes G500 bullet proof worth N45m; Mercedes X500 worth N300m; Lexus jeep bullet proof valued at N30m and Lincoln Navigator bullet proof worth N25m.

    Saraki’s lawyer, Paul Erokoro (SAN), made these public yesterday at the resumption of the Senate President’s trial for alleged false asset declaration before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) in Abuja.

    Erokoro, who was cross-examining the first prosecution witness, Michael Wetkas, identified the assets as claimed by Saraki in the asset declaration form he submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) in 2003.

    Erokoro said he needed to point out that his client was very rich before he became Kwara State governor to erase the wrong impression created by the prosecution that he could not have acquired the property he claimed to have without obtaining loans from banks

    The lawyer was, however, silent on the source of his client’s wealth and how he came about all the property and cash he claimed to have possessed before he became governor in 2003.

    Saraki’s profile, in “Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia,” indicated that he was born on December, 19 1962 and  studied at the London Hospital Medical College of the University of London from 1982 to 1987, when he obtained his M.B.B.S (London).

    He worked as a medical officer at Rush Green Hospital, Essex, from 1988 to 1989 and was a director of Société Générale Bank (Nig) Ltd from 1990 to 2000. The bank founded by his now late father, Dr. Olusola Saraki, had its operating licence withdrawn in January 2006 by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

    In 2000, President Olusegun Obasanjo appointed Saraki as Special Assistant, a position he held until he became governor.

    When asked if it was possible for Saraki to have made anticipatory declaration of asset, Wetkas insisted it was not about whether or not such practice was possible, but that investigation and evidence showed that the Senate President actually engaged in anticipatory asset declaration.

    The witness pointed out that, in the asset declaration form submitted to the CCB by Saraki in 2003, he claimed to have acquired houses Nos 15A and 15B Macdonald Street, Ikoyi, Lagos when, in actual fact, such property did not exist.

    Wetkas, a detective with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), said the only property with a similar description was No15 and Block 15 Flat 1 to 4 Mcdonald Street, Ikoyi, Lagos.

    “In the course of our investigation, when we came across this No.15 A and B, Ikoyi, Lagos, we wrote to the Presidential Implementation Committee on the disposal of Federal Government Landed Property. We also wrote to the Lagos Land Registry.

    “The Lagos Land Registry said they do not have records of No.15A and B, McDonald. The Presidential Committee said the record they have on their system is No.15 Mcdonald, which was sold to the company, TinyTee Ltd, and Block 15, Flat 1 to 4 Mcdonald Ikoyi, which was sold to another company, Bitti Oil Ltd.

    “The evidence I gave was that No: 15 Mcdonald was sold to TinyTee Ltd, belonging to the defendant, which we did not see declared as part of his assets in all the declaration forms, about six in all.

    “In my testimony on 5th April 2016, I had said the defendant declared in his asset declaration form – Exhibit 1, in appendix 3, that he bought No: 15A and B, McDonald, Ikoyi, Lagos sometime in 2000 through his company called Calile Properties Ltd, whereas our findings revealed that No:15 was actually purchased by his company, TinyTee, not Calile, sometime in 2006.

    “We also found that the second property: Block 15 Flat 1 -4 was sold to Bitti Oil Ltd. Investigation is yet to link the defendant with that company,” Wetkas said.

    As Wetkas testified, Saraki, who wore a white agbada and a cap, sat quietly in the “accused box”.

    At a point, Erokoro attempted to discredit the form submitted by Saraki in 2003, which he signed on September 16, 2003, by claiming that it must have been tampered with.

    Erokoro hinged his suspicion on his belief that it was impossible for Saraki to have contemplated as at 2003 buying the Ikoyi property in 2006 and thereby include it in his 2003 asset declaration form.

    Reacting to Erokoro’s position, Wetkas said only Saraki, who signed the document, admitting his claims on it, could explain the reason for what Erokoro thought to be impossible.

    “The Exhibit 1 (the 2003 form) was signed and dated by Saraki on September 16, 2003. As far as I am concerned, Exhibit 1 was duly signed and dated by the defendant on September 16, 2003.

    “I did not insert the properties in the form. Asset declaration form is not just any document. The person declaring his assets is expected to go before a high court judge to swear an oath. They swear to affidavit, so it is believed that all he swore to, and appended his signature to is the truth.  I do not need to see him in person or confront him to believe that his declaration in the form is true,” Wetkas said.

    Earlier, the witness, who was handed an electric calculator by Erokoro to calculate the value of Saraki’s asset, as stated in the 2003 form, said an inquiry into some of his bank accounts and those of some members of his immediate family revealed that Saraki was worth more than N1.5billion as at 2003.

    “By Appendix 7A of Exhibit 1, the defendant’s wife’s account in Ecobank, showed N1,500,000 as cash balance.

    “At page 6 of Exhibit 1: Cash at bank in Nigeria added up to N1,100,000 in Société General Bank, in the name of Tosin and Seni Saraki (his children below 18 years as at 2003).

    At 3.30 pm, lead defence lawyer Kanu Agabi (SAN) sought an adjournment, which the tribunal Chairman, Justice Danladi Umar, reluctantly agreed to.

    Justice Umar reminded Agabi that parties had agreed at the commencement of proceedings, that the tribunal will only rise at 4pm.

    The tribunal chairman, however, changed his mind when other defence lawyers, including Paul Usoro (SAN), supported Agabi’s request.

    Only about three senators were identified at yesterday’s proceedings as against the practice in the past when up to 20 were always attending every sitting.

    The regulars: Dino Melaye (who occasionally served food and drinks to other senators when they attend proceedings), Samuel Anyawu and Tayo Alasoadura were absent at yesterday’s proceedings.

    Ajibola Oluyede, the lawyer, who suddenly appeared in the defence team at the previous proceedings to move a motion seeking Umar’s disqualification, was also absent yesterday.

    Further hearing resumes today.

     

  • National Assembly’s Acting Clerk: ‘Saraki still working with PDP’

    National Assembly’s Acting Clerk: ‘Saraki still working with PDP’

    Senate President Bukola Saraki and leaders of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the National Assembly have been accused of setting up land mines against the ruling All Progress Congress (APC).

    It was learnt at the weekend that Saraki’s rejection of the nomination of Mr Sani Omolori as the Acting Clerk of the National Assembly was done in concert with PDP’s leadership in the National Assembly.

    The Senate leadership allegedly planned to extend the tenure of the Clerk, Ben Efeturi, by two years, if his appointment had sailed through.

    But APC leaders frustrated Saraki and his men in the National Assembly.

    The Senate President, through a letter by his Chief of Staff, Senator Isa Galaudu, urged the Executive Chairman of the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC), Dr Adamu Fika, to withdraw the letter appointing Omolori as Acting Clerk of the National Assembly for the period Dr Maikasuwa would be on pre-retirement leave from May 14 to August 14.

    But Fika swiftly rejected the idea, insisting that the decision to appoint Omolori was taken at the commission’s 440th meeting on April 20.

    In a letter on the matter sent to the Senate President, Fika said: “The commission took into account the fact that Mr Efeturi will proceed on his pre-retirement leave on August 2, that is 12 days before the incumbent Clerk will be due to hand over to his successor.

    “This means that Mr Efeturi is time-barred for the acting appointment; hence the choice of Mr Omolori to act and ensure continuity in that very important public service office, where he will serve for the next five years.

    “In arriving at the commission’s decision, the chairman did not use his casting vote because 11 commissioners were in support with only one who voted no.”

    The NASC chairman argued that by career progression in the public service, Omolori is senior to Mr Efeturi.

    He noted that denying Omolori the appointment as Deputy Clerk to the National Assembly in 2014 was improper.

    Fika said: “Reversing the decision of the commission appointing Omolori as the Acting Clerk to the National Assembly cannot be tenable in the circumstance.”

    A highly-placed source, who spoke in confidence with our reporter, said Saraki was acting the script of PDP leaders in the National Assembly as parts of strategies to maintained their hold and influence on the Eighth National Assembly.

    The source expressed surprise that the Senate President was not tired of working against his party, the APC.

    He said APC leaders were watching how far Saraki would go against the party under the present dispensation.

  • Saraki, Udoma promise early passage of 2017 budget

    Saraki, Udoma promise early passage of 2017 budget

    The Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, and the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udo Udoma, yesterday promised early passage of the 2017 Appropriation Bill.

    Speaking with State House correspondents at the end of the signing ceremony of the 2016 budget at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Saraki called for early work on the 2017 budget in order to prevent the delays experienced with the 2016 budget.

    He said: “One is the fact that the process will start early. Don’t forget the fact that the government only came in May of last year. We have a long time now to prepare. The government is in place, the new appointments and those in National Assembly are in place, I’m sure it will not be like thisý.

    Saraki said  the 2016 Budget will ensure that a  minimum of 30 per cent goes into capital and boost the diversification policy of the government.

    “Our journey here has been rather bumpy but I believe that that is not only in Nigeria. All over the world, the legislation on appropriation and budgeting is the most important legislation,” he said in reference to the controversy that attended the handling of the appropriation bill by the National Assembly.

    President Buhari had returned the bill to the NASS after it was first submitted to him  saying the breakdown of the budget details was not attached and that the budget was mutilated with many allocations reduced drastically or dropped entirely.

    Saraki added:”In all the democracies that we practise, there are always issues about passing the budget, policies, etc.

    “We thank God that we have been able to come to this today in our country. I think that is a great achievement on the part of everybody.

    “In other countries, even in the US that we copy, sometimes they close down government because they have not been able to achieve it.

    “It is with a great satisfaction that we are here and it is by the efforts of people from both sides: Executive and Legislature.

    “I think we have shown again that despite the challenges, we can work together as a government that has the interest of the people that have put us here at heart. We should look at the good side and more and forge ahead.

    “Most important part after the signing of course is the implementation, to ensure that the benefits of Nigerians who waited are met.”

    Also briefing State House correspondents at the occasion, Udoma said that the 2016 Budget adopted the same revenue assumptions of 38 dollars crude oil price while the size of the budget and the size of the deficit are also roughly the same with the proposal submitted.

    To ensure no delays in 2017 Budget, he said that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved a timetable for the 2017 budget two weeks ago.

    He said: “Our intention is that the budget should reach the National Assembly early in October to give them enough time to pass the budget before the end of the year.

    “Because as you know the most important time particularly for road construction and road works is of course the dry season, so if you can get the budget out in December, you can now start early to implement, so our intention is going forward to get us back to a situation where we can have a full January to December implementation for the budget.

    “So we are working hard on the timetable to achieve this.It’s also going to be much more extensive consultation with the National Assembly prior to the budget being presented, extensive consultations with NGOs and that will help us to speed up the process of getting the budget approved.”

    On implementation of the 2016 budget, he said: “Our own will always be one hundred percent implementation, we know that because we started late we may not achieve it but that is our aim, we will start off with that aim because the budget is a law so we will try and implement it as faithfully as we can. However the reality is that we may not because we started late.

    Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed said that the government has developed a specific implementation guideline for the 2016 budget which will be submitted to all the MDAs.

    “This will be vigorously monitored and reported upon on quarterly basis to the FEC. There are some checks in that implementation plan and we intend to follow through with the plan as fast as possible.” She added