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Tag: Senate

  • Senate passes Police Trust Fund bill

    The Senate on Tuesday passed the Nigerian Police Trust Fund Bill

    Senate President, Bukola Saraki, had last week promised the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, that the Senate would fast-track its work on both the Police Trust Fund Bill and the Police Reform Bill.

    Saraki in his remarks after the passage of the Bill, which has also been passed by the House of Representatives, noted that “by passing this Bill, we will be creating big strides towards providing and improving security and the policing in our country.”

    He added, “One of the major concerns has always been the issue of funding of the Police. We believe that this bill will provide the funding needed for training and recruitment.

    “I am confident that by the time we lay the report on the Police Reform Bill, we would have gone a long way in moving the police in the right direction.

    Read Also: My visit to Osinbajo not on Senate President, says Ndume

    “It is our view that once we have these Police Bills as laws, we will relieve the burden on the military, so that it can focus on its Constitutional responsibility.”

    The Police Trust Fund Bill aims to provide a legal framework for the management and control of the special intervention funds established under the Act for the training of personnel of the Nigeria Police Force.

    The Trust Fund will also be utilised to enhance the skills of the personnel of the Police, in order to ensure their efficiency, overall performance, and constant improvement while they perform their duties.

    In addition to this, the Trust Fund will be used to ensure that the Nigeria Police Force has the necessary operational equipment, instructional materials, police stations and living quarters.

    The Bill will now be transmitted to President Muhammadu Buhari for his assent.

     

  • Breaking: Saraki gives committee Thursday deadline to submit budget report

    Senate President Bukola Saraki on Tuesday gave the Appropriations Committee till Thursday to submit the 2019 budget report.

    Vice Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Sunny Ogbuoji told the Senate that only 24 out of 61 sub-committees had submitted their reports.

    Saraki insisted that the budget report must be presented on Thursday, April 11 ahead of the April 16 approval of the money bill.

    The Senate President noted the Appropriations committee will be forced to use Executive submissions if the sub-committees fail to submit their reports to the Committee by Wednesday.

    Saraki said, “It is unfortunate that only 24 committees have submitted their reports. Last week, we all took a decision here that we are not going to waiver on our position. Our position is very clear: that all committees should submit (their budget reports). And those that don’t submit, then the Appropriations Committee should use the Executive submission.

    Read Also: MTEF: Senate approves N1.64tr new borrowing to fund budget deficit

    “That position is still where we are. And I want to appeal to all our committees that you really have just till tomorrow (Wednesday) to make sure that your reports get to the Appropriations Committee because Thursday, you must lay this report.

    “Vice Chairman of Appropriations Committee, if you don’t get report from our committees by tomorrow (Wednesday), then you just use the submission of the Executive. But come Thursday, you must lay that report.”
    President Buhari presented the N8.83 trillion budget proposal to a joint session of the National Assembly on December 19, 2018.

  • MTEF: Senate approves N1.64tr new borrowing to fund budget deficit

    The Senate on Wednesday adopted N1.64 trillion proposed by the Executive as the amount for new borrowing to fund the 2019 budget deficit.

    The upper chamber also approved the proposed N500 billion special social intervention fund.

    The adoptions were parts of the 2019-2021 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP) passed yesterday by the upper chamber.

    President Muhammadu Buhari sent the MTEF/FSP to the National Assembly on November 6, 2018 for consideration and approval.

    The passage of the MTEF/FSP came as the Senate is set to receive the report of the 2019 budget from its Appropriation Committee.

    The Senate adopted all the critical projections in the MTEF/FSP as proposed by the Executive.

    The MTEF/FSP an annual rolling three year-expenditure plan sets out the medium-term expenditure priorities and provides the basis for the preparation of the annual national budget.

    Senate Committee on Finance which considered the MTEF and FSP presented its recommendations for adoption by the Senate in plenary.

    Apart from the adoption of N1.64 trillion as the amount for new borrowing to fund the budget deficit, the Senate advised relevant agencies to continue to explore ways of generating additional revenues for government to bring down the fiscal deficit.

    Read Also: Senate confirms Paul Tarfa, 10 others as chair, Board Members of NEDC

    It said that the Federal Government should harness the full optimal potential of the ministry of Mines and Steel Development in terms of revenue generation to minimize the level of new borrowing.

    It also said that the Federal Government should consider reducing the granting of waivers and exemptions while ensuring that the Nigerian Customs Service personnel were at all oil terminals for accountability.

    The Federal Inland Revenue Service, it said, should consider increasing tax on luxury goods and services.

    On the N5000 special social intervention fund, the Senate asked for the cooperation of relevant committees in the National Assembly and other relevant MDAs in ensuring that the funds are judiciously utilized to provide tangible impact of the funds on the Nigerians.

    The Senate retained the oil output of 2.3 million barrel per day, oil price benchmark of $60 per barrel, exchange rate of N305/$1, GDP Growth rate of 3.0percent and Inflation growth rate of 9.98percent.

    Other Executive proposals for 2019 also adopted by the Senate included: proposed expenditure of N8.83 trillion, FGN retained revenue N7.92 trillion, fiscal deficit N1.86 trillion, new borrowings N1.65 trillion, statutory transfers N492.4 billion, debt service N2.14 trillion, Sinking Fund N120 billion, total recurrent (non-debt) N4.72trillion, personnel costs (MDAs) N2.29 trillion, capital expenditure N2.86 trillion, Special Intervention N500 billion.

    The committee said that crude oil production output stood at 2.0 million barrels as of December 2018.

    According to the committee, the 2.3million daily target is achievable “due to the continuous efforts of all stakeholders in checkmating the issues of oil facilities vandalism and other vices associated with such regard.”

    The committee which recommended exchange rate of N305/$1, asked the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) “to continue adopting strategies that will aid the strengthening of the naira and bridging the gap between the official and parallel market rate of the foreign exchange.”

     

  • Breaking: Senate confirms Paul Tarfa, 10 others as chair, Board Members of NEDC

    The Senate on Tuesday confirmed the appointment of Maj.-Gen. Paul Tarfa (rtd.) as Chairman of the North East Development Commission (NEDC).

    The Upper Chamber also confirmed the appointment of Mohammed Alkali as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NEDC alongside nine members.

    This followed presentation of report by Chairman, Senate Committee on Special Duties, Sen. Abdul Aziz Nyako on confirmation of nominations into the board of the commission.

    The other nominees are Musa Yashi-Execitive Director Humanitarian Affairs, Muhammed Jawa-Executive Director Administration and Finance, Omar Mohammed Executive Director Operation.

    Others are David Kente-member representing North East Zone, Asmau Mohammed, member representing North West Zone, Benjamin Adanyi member representing North Central Zone.

    Still others are Olawale Oshun-member representing South West Zone, Dr T. Ekechi member representing South East and Obasuke Mcdonald-member representing South South.

    Contributing, Sen. Binta Masi(APC-Adamawa) observed that the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer was from Borno State as well as the headquarters of the commission being domiciled in Borno.

    She noted that in the spirit of fairness, other states facing insurgency should have been considered.

    Masi noted that late Sen. Ali Wakili suggested that the headquarters be domiciled in Bauchi State, but the request was turned down to allow for more negotiations, but wondered why the decision was made in favour of Borno.

    Sen. Nyako said the observation made by Sen. Masi was paramount but indicated that the decision was reached during Senate and House of Representatives conference.

    He said, “recall that in our bill, we left that issue open and during the hearing we agreed that if the headquarters should be in Borno someone from elsewhere should be Chief Executive Officer.

    “It was the House bill that came with zoning within Borno. They had overwhelming votes in support of that during our conference and in the spirit of democracy we had to succumb.”

    The Deputy Leader, Sen. Bala Na’Allah also noted that the observation made by Sen. Mask was genuine but noted certain situations could warrant a change.

    He said, “the citing of the headquarters is because the entire country associated the beginning of insurgency to Borno and other most affected states are Adamawa and Yobe states.

    “So, chairman for the commission is from Adamawa and choice of Alkali is for certain convenience, which is required to galvanise support with the least inconvenience.

    “Also,it should be noted that the action of the Executive led to choice of Alkali while citing of the NEDC in Borno is legislative action and in the spirit of cooperation among arms of govt we should let that go.
    and confirm them.”

    Read Also: The senate Nigeria deserves

    The Leader of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, congratulated the National Assembly for passing the bill and Executive, for assenting to the bill and sending list of board nominees for confirmation.

    “The people nominated here are qualified and experienced and prepared to hit the ground running.

    “So, I urge the committee to monitor the commission’s take off to ensure the right things are done. We have learnt from issues of non smooth take off of Niger Delta Development Commission(NDDC) so that the NEDC will learn from that. The commission needs urgent take off.

    The Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu also congratulated the nominees.

    He said the emergence of the commission was a sign that the national assembly had concern for happens in Nigeria irrespective of region and other indices.

    “The NDDC bill was initiated in the National Assembly. It was vetoed by the Executive but we overturned the veto. It is the same spirit that led to the initiation of the NEDC. The smooth running of NDDC is due to so much protocol.

    ” So,from the day one of the take off of NEDC, the national assembly should start oversight to give life to North East and hope to other Nigerians doing business in those areas and I hope the pioneers would lay good example, ” he said.

    In his remarks, the President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, congratulated the nominees and urged them hit the ground running.

    He also emphasised the need for oversight of the commission to ensure proper implementation of projects.

  • The senate Nigeria deserves

    Former US Senator, Gaylord Kent Conrad aka the ‘Statistician’ and one of Time Magazine’s top 10 American senators in 2006 is known for using more charts than all other senators combined. He is occasionally called “Mr. Chart Man”. His budget expertise came in handy when former President George Bush Jnr. was pushing a plan for partially privatizing social security and put the hard sell on him. Bush first tried by flying with Conrad to Fargo then, after they returned, kept the pressure on by inviting him to the White House where he dropped hints about election-year vulnerability for red-state Democrats. But Conrad, whose honorary Sioux name translates as “Never Turns Back,” stood firm in his opposition to the plan.

    “I could never support something that added dramatically to the debt,” Conrad says. “I told him, “Count me out.”

    Taking a gaze at the American senate, one would observe that it parades men of integrity, intellectuals, policy makers, professionals, strategists, philanthropies, right activists and those who won unquestionable elections.

    In our upper chamber, one wonders if we will have senators in the 9th Senate like late Senator John McCain (Republican) who was known as the Mainstreamer by his colleagues. Love or loathe him, once a Vietnam prisoner of war is always a man of authority. Sometimes it’s often said that the “power of a law depends on the lawmaker”. Late McCain earned that moral authority over the years by being patient, brave, bold, plain and making the big play. He spent his entire senate career exposing wasteful pork-barrel projects. Nigerians will not quickly forget the shocker he gave to the government during a debate on the kidnap of Chibok girls at the floor of US Senate chambers… “that America should utilize every asset that we have, satellite, drones, any capabilities that we had to go after them. We didn’t have to wait until a practically non-existent government of Nigerian gave us the go ahead before mounting a humanitarian effort to rescue those 276 abducted girls.”

    In the 9th Senate, Nigerians will be expecting to see a replica of late Senator Arlen Specter (R) aka ‘The Contrarian’, who spent almost 30 years in American Senate as an arrow head and popular voice. Arlen was a talented guy whom allies called “abrasive,” “brutal” and “prosecutorial” for being blunt, not sparing even his party members and colleagues who try to compromise during debates on national and important issues. Or senators like late Senator Carl Milton Levin (D) ‘the Bird-Dogger’ who was a senator from 1979-2015 and gained respect from both parties for his attention to detail and deep knowledge of policy, especially in his role as a vigilant monitor of business and federal agencies. He was once quoted that he considers congressional hearings a critical part of his job, spending as much as 20 hours prepping for each one so an evasive witness won’t outwit him.

    We want to have 9th Senate full of people like late Senator Ted Kennedy (D) ‘the dealmaker’ who was a Senator from 1962-2009 and was reputed to have fought for defending working class, health care and penalizing discrimination or former Senator Olympia J. Snowe (R) known as the ‘Provider’ who is a major player on national issues and known as one of the most effective advocates of her constituents. She travels back to Maine from Washington DC nearly every weekend, often stopping in a small town and villages for what she calls a “Main Street tour” walking the streets and visiting shops to ask people what they are thinking about the government.

    In Nigeria, few senators have exhibited commitment to the national interest in the past. Nigerians will always remember and appreciate the spirited stand of those senators that aborted tenure elongation plan of President Olusegun Obasanjo. Late Idris Ibrahim Kuta (Niger), Badamasi Maccido (Sokoto), Uche Chukwumerije (Abia), Usman Al-Bashir (Yobe), Isaiah Balat (Kaduna), Muktar Aruwa (Kaduna) and Mamman Ali (Yobe) were in the categories of those that fought the third term aspiration of Chief Obasanjo. Kudos must be given to the young, charismatic, intelligent and vibrant Senator Sule Yari Gandi (Sokoto) of blessed memory whose motion on ‘point of order’ created the opportunity for the debate that finally nailed the coffin of the tenure elongation.

    In the heat of Obasanjo’s aborted third-term debate, the then PDP national chairman, Dr. Ahmadu Ali on a BBC Hausa anchored programme poured tantrums on the senators describing them as rascals and fools for their inability to support the agenda. While most of them chose to be silent and swallow the insult in fear of being persecuted or losing their seats, it was late Senator Idris Ibrahim Kuta that called the attention of the senate and insisted that Ali be summoned to the upper chamber to apologise to them; that being a party chairman doesn’t warrant him to insult them in the cause of discharging their duties to the country.

    For close two decades, the senate has wasted its time and the resources of the nation on myriad of probe committees and oversight functions that have been swept under the carpet without the culprits brought to justice. It’s an open secret that many offenders of probe panels are today moving unreservedly in the country without being sanctioned or indicted for prosecution.

    The only way to make the 9th Senate relevant is when our senators stop asking Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA’s) to pay for their flight ticket, estacodes and accommodation to attend conferences; when they stop writing notes to ministers and heads of MDAs asking for contracts, favours, kick-backs or securing jobs for their family members, mistresses and cronies. We want our senators in the 9th Senate to stop the practice of leaving their seats and running after executive nominees in the chamber for photographs after confirmation. The insulting idea of “take a bow and go” by nominees must be stopped in the chamber. The 9th Senate must make every executive nominee irrespective of his or her experience, status or qualities subject to scrutiny.

    Our senators must stop playing the ethnic, regional, tribal and religious card when discharging their responsibilities. We want to have a 9th Senate that will not be a rubber-stamp or whipping boy of any arm of government, political party, individual or any interest group. We want a 9th Senate that will be loyal to the people and the constitution of federal republic of Nigeria and a senate that will not be a chamber of absentees, bench warmers and yes-me types. As one of the highest paid legislators in the globe, they should try to employ professors, PhD holders, retired career civil servants, speech coaches, speech writers and professionals as their special advisers/legislative assistants who are up to date with the current global challenges and expectations. This will afford them the opportunity to understand the workings of the committees they belong and to be acquainted with the kind of questions to pose and information required during public hearings and oversight functions.

    Nigerians have been disappointed with the unpatriotic outing of the previous senate and the question on the lips of many is will the 9th Senate make a difference?

     

    • Yahaya sent this piece from Muye, Niger State.

  • Don’t impose leaders on NASS, Ndume’s supporters tell APC

    A coalition of pro- democracy groups under the auspices of National Coalition in Defence of Democracy has asked the leadership of the All Progressives Congress and the Presidency to avoid the mistake of the past and refrain from imposing leaders on the National Assembly, especially the Senate.

    The group warned that attempts by previous governments to impose leaders on the National Assembly have always ended badly with the eventual impeachment of those imposed by the Presidency, giving examples of such impositions by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

    National Coordinator of the coalition, Ambassador Auwal Alhassan Gama told a news conference on Monday in Abuja that rather than micro zone the position of the President of the Senate to an individual, they were of the view that the senators whom they described as men of integrity should be allowed to pick their own leaders.

    They expressed the belief that if allowed to select their leaders, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume would emerge as the Senate President considering his wealth of experience as a legislator and would ensure a cordial relationship between the executive and the legislature.

    Reminded that the leadership of the party has already taken a stand and may not turn back on it, Gama said “it is not constitutional to micro zone the positions to individuals. Having zoned it to the zones, it is our belief that the zone should be allowed to decide on who they want as doing so would amount to disenfranchising others.

    “We don’t support picking an individual by the party. It is our belief that the 109 senators who are men of integrity should be allowed to make their choice of who should lead them. But if our suggestions are not carried, it would go down in history that we spoke out.

    Asked why they were particular about the position of the Senate President and silent on that of the Speaker of the House of Representatives which has not been given to any zone, Gama said they decided to speak out on the position of Senate President since the party has already made its decision on it known.

    Read Also: Lawan, Goje, Ndume: Who becomes next Senate President?

    He said: “the forum observed among other things that one of the reasons why the present government under the able leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR did not meet up the expectations of many Nigerians in the areas of Infrastructure and Human development was a result of the sour relationship between the Executive and the Legislative arms of Government. This has created setbacks in the areas of non-full implementation of the budget and alteration on key intended project by the government.

    “The National Coalition In Defence of Democracy in its wisdom felt the need to call on the newly elected members of the upper chambers of the National Assembly irrespective of the political party to consider Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, a three term senator from Borno South Senatorial district of Borno State, a Patriot, a detribaised Nigerian and an experienced member of the National Assembly who has contributed to the growth of our democracy for the position of President of the Senate.

    “The decision to call for Support for Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume’s emergence as the next Senate president is born out of our desire for a healthy working relationship between the Executives and the Legislature for a better delivery of democratic dividends. It is our believe that he will bring his matured sense of reasoning, experience and fear of God into play as the Chairman of the National Assembly, he is one politician we know and trust Will unite all interest in the National Assembly.

    “While we salute the courage and goodwill of the presidency in allowing the independent of all arms of government to run its activities independently, it is equally important for all stakeholders including the APC National Working Committee to provide a level playing ground for all its members at the North Eastern part of the country who deemed it fit to contest.

    “We wish to call on all members of the National Assembly Elect, especially those of the upper chambers to support the call for Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume’s Senate Presidency. We were part of the process that brought you on-board and it is our humble plea and believes that Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume will not disappoint us.”

  • Senate Presidency: Group drums support for Goje

    The race for the President of the ninth Senate took another turn Thursday as groups stormed the National Assembly to drum support for the emergence of Senator Mohammed Danjuma Goje for exalted position.

    The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has already endorsed Senator Ahmad Lawan as candidate of the party for the position of Senate President for the ninth session.

    Senators Lawan (Yobe North) and Mohammed Ali Ndume (Borno South) have publicly declared their interest for the position.

    Goje is yet to make any public declaration to contest the position of Senate President.

    But a group, Amalgamated Youths from North East staged a rally at National Assembly gate asked Goje to declare his intention to go for the position without further delay.

    Led by one Bello Ambo from Bauchi State, the group said neither the endorsement of Lawan by the National leadership of APC nor expression of interest by Senator Ndume, should prevent Goje from throwing his hat into the ring for the position of Senate President.

    Ambo noted that as far as public service experience was concerned, “Goje stands far above the others having controlled a state for eight years between 2003 and 2011 and have been in the Senate with required parliamentary experience.

    He said, “Position of Senate President requires administrative and parliamentary knowledge enormously possessed by Goje as against the two other contenders from the zone.”

    Reminded that the APC has taken a decision on who should occupy the position with the endorsement of Lawan, Ambo insisted that “Senators-elect were matured people who can decide who their leader should be and should be allowed to do so.”

    He said, “Our party (APC) is a party of the people and not few leaders, the party should allow the people in this case, Senators -elect, to decide whoever they want as their leader in whatever capacity.

    “For us the Goje Support Groups from the North East for the presidency of the 9th Senate (GSGNE), Senator Danjuma Goje is the right man for the job. He has the required experience as a tested administrator and high ranking lawmaker.

    “He is a man of the people and a senator with all it takes in carrying others along across party lines and most importantly, a party man to the core that will fit perfectly into the next level agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari.”

    Another leader of the group, Abdul Saleh said though Lawan is from his State, and the position of the President of the 9th Senate is zoned to the North East, Goje should be allowed to contest for the position.

    Read Also: INEC declares Sekibo winner of Rivers East Senatorial election

    Saleh claimed that nobody sponsored them as they were yet to meet Senator Goje personally.

    He said, “We are politically conscious youths from the North East resident in different areas of the federal capital territory and in particular, card carrying members of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    “We are calling on Senator Goje to contest for the President of the 9th Senate, being the most qualified person from the zone as far as we are concerned.

    “The party might have spoken in support of Senator Ahmad Lawan but Senators-elect are to decide when the time comes. Goje should come out and contest, the same way Senator Ali Ndume is doing.

    “The more they are in the race, the better the offers before Senators-elect to pick from.”

    Members of the groups who spent some hours at the main entrance of the National Assembly to drum support for Goje carried banners with various inscriptions and Goje’s portraits to amplify their message to passersby and motorists.

    The support group for Goje to join the Senate Presidency race is coming 48 hours after Senator Ali Ndume declared his nine point legislative agenda if elected President of the 9th Senate in June in defiance to declared adoption of Senator Lawan last week by the national leadership of APC.

  • Senate to SPDC: pay N6.9bn to Niger Delta oil host communities

    Oil producing communities in the Niger Delta region Thursday lamented the refusal of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) to comply with the resolution of the Senate to pay them the sum of N6.9 billion.

    The Senate resolution was sequel to a petition on the non-payment of accumulated rentals and expired leases by the SPDC.

    A petition by “Bekele Jones and Associates” to the Senate, lamented the non-payment of outstanding rentals for the Port Harcourt Oloibiri pipeline, the Oloibiri field, and the entire Utapate/Akwa Ibom fields.

    A letter dated 4th March, 2019, the National Assembly in separate letters by the Clerk, Alhaji Mohammed Sani-Omolori, addressed separately to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mustapha Boss and Managing Director, Shell Petroleum Development Company, the Senate resolved that, SPDC pay a uniform rate of N600, 000 per hectre of land as rent per annum for all loss of use of surface rights from 2014.

    Read Also: Senate backs SON on local goods campaign

    The upper chamber also directed the multinational oil company to “cancel all long term leases of 99 years already imposed on landowners and comply with the provisions of the Oil Pipeline Act which stipulate a term of 20 years only.”

    It also resolved that SPDC should respect powers of attorney donated by landowners to their agents/consultants to negotiate for them and receive their rentals from the multinational company.

    The Senate in its resolution mandated SPDC to pay N6, 936,899,900, which is the total outstanding amount for all unpaid rentals, expires leases and re-acquisition fees stated.

    The host communities are insisting on full compliance by SPDC which they said has not be done by SPDC.

  • N1trn projects: ICPC to probe Senators, Reps

    The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) yesterday said senators and members of the House of Representatives who failed to execute constituency projects will be prosecuted.

    Also, all companies engaged for the failed or abandoned projects will face trial.

    But the commission, however, opposed to plea bargain by corrupt elements because the nation’s laws allow it.

    Over N1trillion has been released by the Federal Government for constituency projects since 1999. The funds include the N200 billion by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari from 2015 to 2017.

    More than 2,345 senators and representatives have benefitted from constituency projects since 1999.

    About 37 per cent to 40 per cent of the projects have either been completed or ongoing in the last 20 years.

    Many senators and representatives were found to have diverted the funds, using their personal companies. Some abandoned the projects.

    Of the 2,516 projects tracked by BudgIT Nigeria between 2015 and 2017, 918 were not done, 395 are ongoing and 214 cannot be located.

    The Chairman of ICPC, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, yesterday said the anti-graft commission had demanded a list of all constituency projects and presented budgets to make senators and representatives account for the funds they got.

    Owasanoye, who spoke at the launch of Constituency Projects Tracking Group (CPTG), said ICPC will also publish the names of those behind the project failures.

    Read also: ICPC praises PTAD on fight against scammers

    The tracking will cover outgoing senators and Representatives in the 8th National Assembly.

    He said ICPC was collaborating with the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS) to evaluate whether or not the projects executed were commensurate with the budgetary allocations.

    The ICPC chairman said: “We are mindful of the fact that this is a Herculean task as constituency projects dot the entire landscape but we will overcome the challenges one way or another.

    “Where contractors and or politically-exposed persons have diverted funds for projects, we will pursue them to either complete the projects as initiated, return the funds or face prosecution.

    “Affected companies and their directors will also be prosecuted. We also hope to publish the names of those behind the project failures for possible social sanctions in their communities.”

    Owasanoye regretted that constituency projects had been turned into avenues of corruption.

    He added: “Constituency projects are intended for developmental projects, such as provision of water, rural electrification, rural clinics, schools, community centres and bursary for indigent students.

    “In the light of annual budgetary allocations to constituency projects and based on actual releases by the government, it is firmly believed that the impact of constituency projects on the lives of ordinary Nigerians ought to be more visible.

    “Regrettably, available statistics from open sources paint a bleak picture of the level of performance or delivery of constituency projects.

    “Over the years, constituency projects have become enmeshed in controversy among non-state actors, the promoters of the projects and the communities that are supposed to benefit from the projects.

    “The concern is that in Nigeria, rather than address the needs of constituents; many constituency projects have become avenues of corruption.”

    Owasanoye gave some three-year statistics which revealed how senators and Representatives have paid lip service to constituency projects.

    He said: “The level of implementation of constituency projects in 16 focus states for 2015 is revealing. Out of 436 constituency projects for the year that were tracked, 145 were completed, 77 ongoing while 211 were not executed at all.

    “For 2016, out of a total of 852 constituency projects in 20 states in the 2016 Budget that were tracked, 350 were completed, 118 were ongoing, 41 locations not specified in the budget and 343 not done or performed.

    “In 2017, a total of 1,228 constituency projects in the budget were tracked for performance as at June 2018. Out of these, 478 were completed, 173 in unspecified location, 200 ongoing, 13 abandoned and 364 not started. The level of performance of constituency projects is therefore disputable.”

    The ICPC chairman unfolded plans to collaborate with the media and Civil Society Organisations to fight corruption.

    But he warned against reckless whistleblowing and declared that the commission will deal with anyone who misleads it.

    He said: “We hope to have a robust relationship with the media and civil society. Not just in Constituency Project Monitoring and role of CSOs and media as partners in giving credible intelligence and evidence of corruption rather than generalised accusations or allegations of wrongdoing but specifics that help to make investigation seamless.

    “We also want to caution CSOs to avoid misleading ICPC with intelligence that have no foundation in the name of whistleblowing. We have had one or two experiences of reckless and irresponsible allegations of wrongdoing against prominent citizens provided by CSOs.

    “But for the cautious approach of the commission, the outcomes would have been embarrassing. We want to say loud and clear that there will be dire consequences in accordance with the law for anyone that misleads the commission.”

     

  • Senate backs SON on local goods campaign

    The Senate Committee on Industry has pledged to support the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON’s) campaign for the patronage of made-in-Nigeria goods.

    Chairman of the Committee, Senator Sam Egwu, said SON is vital to achieving the present administration’s Executive Order 003 aimed at providing support for local content in public procurement by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as well as increasing the demand for locally made goods and services in the country.

    Egwu at an oversight function on SON’s laboratory complex in Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos, yesterday said promoting made-in-Nigeria goods could only be achieved through SON’s quality assurance programmes and activities across the nation.

    REad also: Ndume steps up campaign for Senate President

    “We have visited other laboratories outside this country and compared to what we have seen outside the country, I will say SON has come to stay. A lot of mileage has been achieved since our last visit in 2018. Within a period of seven months, it is good to see that staff have moved into the laboratory and almost all the laboratories are in operation which is a good development.  This feat could not have been achieved without the Director-General, the management and staff of SON. We just wish you maintain the standards.