Tag: Senate

The Senate on Wednesday passed for second reading a N288bn Supplementary budget for the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).

This fresh supplementary budget comes after the Senate passed the sum of N98.5bn Supplementary budget for the FCT in June.

Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, in his lead debate said the Supplementary appropriation became necessary to accommodate additional inflows from Internally Generated Revenues and other revenues of the FCTA.

Bamidele said, “A Bill for an Act to issue from the Federal Capital Territory Administration Account the total sum of N288bn only arising from a need to accommodate additional inflows from Internally Generated Revenues (IGR) and other revenues in the sums of N8bn only and N280bn only respectively; and for other related matters, 2024.”

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The passage of the budget followed a correspondence from President Bola Tinubu dated September 19, 2024 addressed to the National Assembly.

Tinubu said the supplementary budget for the FCTA was pursuant to the provision of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

The letter reads in part: “I write in accordance with the provisions of Section 121 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to forward herewith an additional supplementary budget proposal for the FCTA for consideration and passage by the Senate.

“This supplementary budget proposal has been prepared on the basis of the FCTA’S reviewed revenue and expenditure forecasts and is aligned with the fiscal and developmental policies of the Federal Government and the Renewed Hope Agenda.

“With it, the FCTA continues to prioritise the improvement of human capital and infrastructure within the Federal Capital Territory.

This fresh supplementary budget comes after the Senate passed the sum of N98.5bn Supplementary budget for the FCT in June.

After the Bill was read for a Second time, Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, who presided over plenary referred to the Senate Committee on FCT for further legislative work.

The Senate on Wednesday, September 25, passed for second reading a N288bn Supplementary budget for the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).

This fresh supplementary budget comes after the Senate passed the sum of N98.5bn Supplementary budget for the FCT in June.

The Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele in his lead debate said the Supplementary appropriation became necessary to accommodate additional inflows from Internally Generated Revenues and other revenues of the FCTA.

Bamidele said: “A Bill for an Act to issue from the Federal Capital Territory Administration Account the total sum of N288bn only arising from a need to accommodate additional inflows from Internally Generated Revenues (IGR) and other revenues in the sums of N8bn only and N280bn only respectively; and for other related matters, 2024.”

The passage of the budget followed a correspondence from President Bola Tinubu dated September 19, 2024, addressed to the National Assembly.

 Tinubu said the supplementary budget for the FCTA was pursuant to the provision of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

The letter reads in part: “I write in accordance with the provisions of Section 121 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to forward herewith an additional supplementary budget proposal for the FCTA for consideration and passage by the Senate.

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“This supplementary budget proposal has been prepared on the basis of the FCTA’S reviewed revenue and expenditure forecasts and is aligned with the fiscal and developmental policies of the Federal Government and the Renewed Hope Agenda.

“With it, the FCTA continues to prioritise the improvement of human capital and infrastructure within the Federal Capital Territory.

This fresh supplementary budget comes after the Senate passed the sum of N98.5bn Supplementary budget for the FCT in June.

After the Bill was read for a second time, Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, who presided over plenary referred to the Senate Committee on FCT for further legislative work.

Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele has said probe panels set up by the two Chambers of the National Assembly to investigate alleged economic sabotage in the petroleum sector have resolved to jointly carry out the assignment.

Bamidele, who is the chairman of the Senate Adhoc Committee for the investigation, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja.

He said: “As we return fully to the parliamentary sessions on Tuesday this week, the National Assembly will, without ambiguity, revisit its decision to decisively address challenges in the petroleum industry.

“The industry is not optimal in its performance. This may not be unconnected to crude oil theft, endless turn around maintenance of public refineries, importation of substandard petroleum products and disruption of fuel supply, among others.

“Contrary to some media reports, the Senate never suspended its Adhoc Committee to Investigate Alleged Economic Sabotage in the Nigerian Petroleum Industry, but postponed its public hearing due to the need to address issues that border on the Rules of the National Assembly.

“Today, both chambers of the National Assembly will resolve the issues and possibly constitute a joint committee that will continue with the investigation from where the adhoc committee stopped.

“We are committed to unearthing the roots of economic sabotage in the petroleum industry in the national interest and developing institutional mechanisms that will make the industry more efficient and functional.”

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He added that both Chambers are expecting new Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP), from the Executive which are integral parts of the yearly budget preparation, consideration and approval.

“The consideration of the MTEF occupies a prime place on the rung of our legislative agenda.

“This is simply because MTEF must be ready before the 2025 Appropriation Bill can be laid before the National Assembly.

“We are equally preoccupied with the review of the 1999 Constitution. In the Senate, the Constitution Review Committee is chaired by Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin.

“In the coming weeks, the Committee will hold retreats and strategy sessions; call for memoranda and organise zonal meetings on some sections of our constitution that should be amended.

“Given the pedigrees of all its members, this exercise no doubt promises a truly federative approach that will redefine and reinvent public governance in this country,”he added.

• Committee considers wider legislative exigencies

The Senate Ad Hoc Committee investigating alleged economic sabotage in the petroleum industry yesterday announced the postponement of its public hearing scheduled to begin tomorrow.

Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, who doubles as the ad hoc committee’s Chairman, announced this in a statement in Abuja.

He said the postponement was done to enable the committee consult widely with relevant stakeholders whose input and participation would add value to the conclusion of the investigative hearing.

The Senate Leader also cited legislative exigencies aimed at further deepening due diligence in the conduct of the investigative hearing as another reason for deferring the hearing.

The Senate set up the ad hoc committee to investigate humongous funds spent on maintaining the nation’s refineries; beam searchlight on the regulatory agencies over payment to transporters and unravel alleged importation of hazardous petroleum products and dumping of substandard diesel into the country.

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According to the statement, the ad hoc committee has concluded its pre-investigation undertakings and held an interactive session with the heads of ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government as well as some private interests in the downstream and midstream petroleum sector.

After the exhaustive engagement with select MDAs and private oil firms, the ad hoc committee had subsequently scheduled its investigative hearing for tomorrow and Thursday.

Bamidele said: “While we deeply regret all inconveniences it may have caused all the stakeholders collectively or individually, this decision was taken purely and solely in the national interest.”

No senator earns N21million monthly as salary and allowances, Senate spokesman Adeyemi Adaramodu (APC – Ekiti South) said yesterday.

In a statement Senator Adaramodu said that “running cost” is different from the salary and personal allowances of the lawmakers.

He said salaries of lawmakers is as stipulated by the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) – a body statutorily empowered to do so.

The Chairman of RMAFC, Muhammed Bello, had on Tuesday, said each Senator gets a monthly salary and allowances of N1,063,860:00.

Adaramodu also said that “running cost” is not peculiar to the National Assembly,

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adding that “such funds are retired by relevant officers after being used for official purposes and proof of genuine expenditure.”

“It’s not a personal allowance or salary of a legislator,” he said.

He also added that the fund is also used to maintain lawmakers’ Constituency offices and staff.

He decried allegations of wasteful spending by the Parliament, adding that “the Nigerian Senate is an Assembly of accomplished and successful professionals, administrators and captains of industries, who are not driven by these often touted egregious pecuniary bits, rather for their patriotic zeal in the nation’s quest to breathe life to Nigeria’s political and socio-economic dry bones.”

Adaramodu said: “For the umpteen time, the Senate is compelled to react to the obsolete allegations of a phantom salary and personal emoluments spuriously credited to Senators monthly.

“The Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Allocation Commission, the agency of government that fixes political officials’ salaries and allowances, has duly disclosed the monthly personal take-home of Senators.

“However, all arms of Government and their personnel, Governors, Ministers, Permanent Secretaries, Directors-General, State Commissioners, even Boards and parastatals, including local government councils run their activities with running costs and the National Assembly is not an exemption.

“Thus the money referred to by Senator Kawu Sumaila is neither his salary nor personal allowance.

‘It’s for the daily running of  offices by Senators and other attached statutory officials. It equally provides funds for Constituency office staff. It is also for oversight functions and community engagements.

“This funds are not static and it’s provided for in the annual budget. Such funds are retired by relevant officers after being used for official purposes and proof of genuine expenditure.

It’s not a personal allowance or salary of the legislator.

“The National Assembly receives about one per cent  of the federal budget and has never exceeded this, even when the non-availability of funds is pervasive.

“The Nigerian Senate is an Assembly of accomplished and successful professionals, administrators and captains of industries, who are not driven by these often touted egregious pecuniary bits, rather for their patriotic zeal in the nation’s quest to breathe life to Nigeria’s political and socio-economic dry bones.”

The Senate on Thursday, August 15, denied alleged payment of N21million monthly as salary and allowances to senators.

The Chairman Senate Committees on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Adeyemi Adaramodu (APC – Ekiti South made this clarification in a statement in Abuja.

Adaramodu in the statement offered a clarification on the claim by Senator Abdulrahman Kawu Sumaila (NNPP – Kano South) that he receives N21million monthly as running cost aside his N1million statutory salary.

Sumaila in an interview with

with BBC Hausa Service on Wednesday morning claimed that he earns a cumulative N21million monthly in salary and allowances.

He had added that: “Given the increase effected, in the Senate, each Senator gets N21million every month as running cost.”

However, Adaramodu  said that “running cost” was quite different from the salary and personal allowances of the lawmakers.

He said that the salary of lawmakers is as stipulated by the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) – a body statutorily empowered to do so.

The chairman of RMAFC, Muhammed Bello, had on Tuesday, revealed that each Senator gets a monthly salary and allowances of N1,063,860:00.

Adaramodu also said that “running cost” is not peculiar to the National Assembly,

adding that “such funds are retired by relevant officers after being used for official purposes and proof of genuine expenditure.”

“It’s not a personal allowance or salary of a legislator,” he said.

He also added that the fund is also used to maintain lawmakers’ Constituency offices and staff.

He decried allegations of wasteful spending by the Parliament, adding that “the Nigerian Senate is an Assembly of accomplished and successful professionals, administrators and captains of industries, who are not driven by these often touted egregious pecuniary bits, rather for their patriotic zeal in the nation’s quest to breathe life to Nigeria’s political and socio-economic dry bones.”

Adaramodu said: “For the umpteen time, the Senate is compelled to react to the obsolete allegations of a phantom salary and personal emoluments spuriously credited to Senators monthly.

“The Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Allocation Commission, the agency of government that fixes political officials’ salaries and allowances, has duly disclosed the monthly personal take-home of Senators.

“However, all arms of Government and their personnel, Governors, Ministers, Permanent Secretaries, Directors-General, State Commissioners, even Boards and parastatals, including local government councils run their activities with running costs and the National Assembly is not an exemption.

“Thus the money referred to by Senator Kawu Sumaila is neither his salary nor personal allowance.

‘It’s for the daily running of  offices by Senators and other attached statutory officials. It equally provides funds for Constituency office staff. It is also for oversight functions and community engagements.

“This funds are not static and it’s provided for in the annual budget. Such funds are retired by relevant officers after being used for official purposes and proof of genuine expenditure.

It’s not a personal allowance or salary of the legislator.

“The National Assembly receives about one per cent  of the federal budget and has never exceeded this, even when the non-availability of funds is pervasive.

“The Nigerian Senate is an Assembly of accomplished and successful professionals, administrators and captains of industries, who are not driven by these often touted egregious pecuniary bits, rather for their patriotic zeal in the nation’s quest to breathe life to Nigeria’s political and socio-economic dry bones.”

The Senate Committee on Public Accounts on Tuesday, blasted the management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Nigeria Police Force and 12 other MDAs for their persistent failure to respond to queries raised against them in the 2019 report of the Auditor General of the Federation (AuGF).

The Chairman of the Committee, Senator Ahmed Wadada Aliyu (SDP – Nasarawa West), told reporters in Abuja that
since heads of the affected agencies refused to respond to queries raised against them in the 2019 audit report after several opportunities given them to do so, any agency that refuses to honour invitation to defend queries, the panel would sustain such queries and equally report them to the Senate in plenary.

He added that the attitude of the affected public agencies on persistent refusal to respond to queries against them in the audit report was both frustrating and detrimental to the aspirations and goals of the President Bola Tinubu-led federal government.

He said that apart from the NNPCL, FIRS and the Nigeria Police Force, other heads of agencies involved in the habit of not honouring committee’s invitation to respond to queries against them are the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation,
Nigeria Mining Cadastre Office, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (former DPR) and Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade & Investment.

Others are the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Internal Revenue Service,
Nigeria Immigration Service, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, Ministry of Defence, Nigeria Communications Satellite Limited, etc.

Wadada said: “It is worthy to state that the Committee commenced the consideration of the Audit Report in October, 2023, with a view to presenting its report to the plenary.

“However, some agencies have willfully failed to honour invitations to defend their written responses to the audit queries as submitted to the Committee’s Secretariat.

“Besides the demand for submission of written responses to audit queries, part of the Committee’s rules of engagement require that Accounting Officers attend the Committee’s Public Hearing to respond to questions arising from the analysis of their submissions which in turn forms a basis for informed decision on the matter by the Committee.

“The desire of the Public Accounts Committee to timeously discharge its constitutional and legislative function is being frustrated by the evasive and negative actions of some CEOs or accounting officers of the concerned MDAs.

“The Committee is very displeased with the attitude of foot-dragging by agencies who are by law, expected to respond to parliamentary invitations and account for their actions.

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“The Committee has over time, extended invitations to these agencies providing them ample opportunities to defend queries against them but for reasons best known to them, these agencies have chosen to disregard invitations.

“It is on this note that we as a Committee have resolved that going forward, the Senate Public Accounts Committee will go ahead to consider their audit queries as contained in the Auditor-General Annual’s Report and any MDA that henceforth fails to honour invitations to respond and present its defence, the Committee wil
adopt the position of the Auditor-General of the Federation.

“Also, this resolution would be added to our rules of engagement if MDAs fail to improve on their attendance to our invitations.”

He however stated that the “Committee is not in doubt of the Commitment of the present administration under the stewardship of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to make Nigeria better but with the attitude of the afore mentioned Chief Executives, that will not be achievable unless and until we all do the needful.”

The Senate Committee on States and Local Governments Administration on Monday, August 12, said the National Assembly will work to ensure that opportunities wasted in the Nigerian border communities as a result of insecurity and porosity are tackled head-on.

The chairman of the committee, Senator Binos Dauda Yaro, who made this pledge at the opening of a two-day engagement with stakeholders in collaboration with Global Consult Limited in Abuja, said that cross-border crimes have impeded development over the years stressing that his committee will work with relevant stakeholders with the view to integrate sub-national border community governments into the economic management of Nigeria.

Senator Yaro said that the rate of crimes witnessed at the border communities can also be traced to long years of neglect and lack of basic amenities in such areas.

According to him, the committee intends to make the engagement an annual event and urged the Local Governments to use the opportunity of the Local government autonomy to create positive impacts for the people living within the border communities for their well-being and development.

“We are concerned about the development of our border communities, the security of the people living there as well as programmes that will give everyone a sense of belonging,” he said.

He expressed concerns that most of the border communities are yet to be demarcated and properly defined, adding that some of the conflicts are a result of no clear-cut defined borders.

In their remarks, the deputy Governors of Abia, Gombe and Ekiti states all expressed enthusiasm that finally the Nigerian Senate is considering putting forward the right foot towards addressing the avalanche of challenges that Nigerians living in the border areas pass through daily.

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The Gombe state Deputy Governor Mannaseh Daniel told the stakeholders that since the creation of Gombe, the relevant authorities have not made any meaningful effort to clearly define the state’s borderlines, describing the situation as a recipe for unnecessary acrimony with neighbouring states.

It was the same view by the Abia state Deputy Governor Ikechukwu Emetu, who further commended the

Nigerian Senate for the bold step to engage the major stakeholders for the good of Nigeria.

Chairman of Global Gold Consult, Engineer Adegbayo expressed confidence that the two-day programme will come up with far-reaching solutions that will enhance and improve the living conditions of Nigerians living in the border communities and improve economic benefits for Nigeria.

He maintained that the desire to collaborate with the Senate was driven by the state of squalor of Nigerians living in those areas and the daily challenges they go through including health care and other basic needs.

For Dr Usman Faruk of the National Boundary Commission, the best approach for Nigeria in addressing the menace of cross-border crimes will be the adoption of what he described as the “Westphalian” method.

He pointed out that there are dire consequences should Nigeria continue to neglect the development of border communities.

“The resources and opportunities at the border communities are enormous and we must understand that the border communities are our windows and doors to the rest of the world and we must develop them,” he said.

He told the gathering that currently, Nigeria does not have the correct statistics of border communities.

The Senate has dismissed allegations that it was involved in determining its salaries or receiving special fiscal packages from the Presidency.

Senate Spokesman, Sen. Yemi Adaramodu, in a statement on Sunday, in Abuja, described the allegations as “sordid and telltale assertions.”

“The Nigerian Senate is petrified by the tattling story of determining its own salaries and receiving a special fiscal package from the Presidency.

“This was amplified during a visit of a group of the House of Representatives members to former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

“To straighten the records, the Senate receives only the salary allocated constitutionally by the Revenue Mobilisation Fiscal Allocation Commission (RMFAC).

“We challenge anyone who is privileged, either in qualified or absolute position to bring forth any contrary fact.”

Read Also: Senate, House of Reps deny fixing own salaries

Adaramodu said that the senators or the National Assembly do not and cannot fix their salaries. Any suggestions contrary is uncharitable. It’s only an attempt to crucify the legislature by the centurions of political hypocrisy.

“It is pertinent to inform the unsuspecting public that no senator has received any monetary patronage from the Presidency.

“The mischievously touted consistency projects are not for the legislators. They are only suggested and nominated by the legislators in accordance with the practice in other democracies worldwide.

“While the executive arm awards the contracts to qualified contractors and ensures the implementation of the projects through its respective ministries and agencies.

“The amount varies depending on the number of constituencies in each state of the federation.

“It’s merely a contribution to the federal budget to ensure that every nook and cranny of Nigeria feels federal presence.

“We are actually in a season of political pontificating when irreverent scaremongering takes prominence.”

Adaramodu said further that the 10th Senate was a responsible and responsive chamber, hence would not do anything that could harm the economy and growth of Nigeria.

“It thus receives only what the relevant agency of government constitutionally allocates to it. And would never solicit for extra ludicrous perks from the other arms of government.”

(NAN)