Former Senate leader, Senator Ali Ndume on Tuesday asked the president of the Senate, Bukola Saraki and Senator Dino Melaye to clear their names over allegations of importation of bullet proof car with fake papers and parading fake certificates respectively.
Details shortly…
The former Senate Majority Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, has appealed to the Federal Government to increase the N45 billion allocated in the 2017 budget for the reconstruction of the North-East region.
Ndume, who made the appeal while briefing newsmen on Tuesday in Maiduguri, said the N45 billion was inadequate compared to the damage done in the region.
He also appealed to the leadership of the National Assembly to look into the possibility of increasing the amount “in the interest of justice.’’
“We are appealing to the Federal Government and the leadership of the National Assembly to jerk up the allocation to at least N125 billion.
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“Our demand is based on the premise that the International Community under the Humanitarian Response Programme has budgeted N1.05 billion dollars for intervention in the area in 2017,” he said.
Ndume added: “Even that amount is meant for three states — Borno, Yobe and Adamawa targeting about 45 percent of the humanitarian crisis in the states.
“It is expected that the federal government should at least try to match the international bodies in funding critical areas requiring urgent attention in the area.”
Ndume recalled that in the 2016 budget, only N12 billion was allocated to the region.
“What the Nigerian government allocated to the region in the 2016 budget was N12 billion and only 75 percent of the amount was eventually released,” he said.
Ndume, a member of the Presidential Committee on the North-East, said that Nigeria received 449 billion dollars from donor countries and bodies compared to the N12 billion allocated to the region in the 2016 budget.
“We got 449 million dollars which are about N130 billion from international donor organisations and countries last year.
“I think the government should try and come up with a reasonable amount for the rebuilding of the North-East by jerking up the N45 billion which is grossly inadequate,” he said.
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The President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, at plenary on Tuesday, announced Sen. Ahmed Lawan (APC-Yobe North) as Leader of the Senate.
Reading a letter from the All Progressives Congress (APC) Senate Caucus dated January 10, Saraki said based on the letter, Sen Ali Ndume (APC-Borno South) was no longer the leader of the senate.
He further stated that “a letter from the APC Senate Caucus dated January 10, His Excellency, the President of the Senate, notice of change of leadership.
“This is to inform your Excellency and the senate that after several meetings held on Monday, Jan. 9, 2017 and upon due deliberations and consultations, the APC caucus of the senate wishes to notify you of the change in the leadership of the senate.
“The new senate leader is now Senator Ahmed Lawan, representing Yobe North Senatorial District, Yobe State.’’
In his reaction, Ndume expressed shock at his removal as the leader of the senate.
He said he had no prior information with regard to the development, adding that the announcement of his removal was made when he stepped out of the chamber.
“I was leading the business of the senate and I asked Bala Ibn N’Allah to sit in for me to pray and on coming back the session ended.
“I didn’t know that there was a change because I went to pray. I don’t know if I am no longer the senate leader.
“I was not invited for any meeting. There should be a procedure. The announcement came to me as a surprise, I can’t tell you more than that.”
Ndume said he was not sure if his removal was as a result of his position on Ibrahim Magu’s non-confirmation as Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
He promised to speak to newsmen on the development.
The APC in a mock election on June 6, 2015, adopted Sen. Ahmed Lawan as President of the Senate.
However, Saraki emerged President of the Senate at the inauguration of 8thNational Assembly on June 9, 2015, while Ndume emerged as the leader of the senate.
Until his emergence as the leader of the senate, Lawan was Chairman, Senate Committee on Defence.
SP @bukolasaraki reads a letter from APC caucus on the change in the Senate Leadership announcing Sen.Ahmed Lawan as the new caucus Leader.
— Nigerian Senate (@NGRSenate) January 10, 2017
The Senate on Tuesday approved a request from President Muhammadu Buhari for the extension of the implementation of the N114 billion FCT capital budget to March 31.
The Senate acceded to the request of the president and gave the bill accelerated hearing as it was considered for second reading, third reading and passed.
However, in his remark, Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, directed the Conference Committee of the Senate to harmonise its figures with the House of Representatives.
Earlier, while presenting the bill for second reading, the Leader of the Senate, Senator Ali Ndume, noted that the 2015 FCT budget was approved on May 28, 2015, allowing only seven months for its implementation.
He said that in order to meet the obligations of the FCT and as requested by the president, the Senate should give accelerated passage to the request for extension.
He said that in view of the seven months period, the FCT budget implementation only stood at 40 per cent, hence the need for the extension.
It would be recalled that Buhari on February 23 requested the Senate to extend the implementation of the budget to March 31.
The Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, on Monday said that the problems the 2016 budget is presently having is because it was rushed before submission to the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari.
He spoke with State House correspondents after meeting with President Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to him, the problems associated with the document would however be sorted out to enable the budget to be signed into law.
He said: “We are working on the budget daily. We are working on it collectively for the first time.
“The Executive and the Legislature are looking at the budget collectively. This is the first time we will be doing it this way.
“The matter is not about a date. If we can finish it today, we will hand it over for signature tomorrow.
“In those days, we just pass budgets that are normally not implemented. This is the first time we are doing a budget that the President is looking forward to implement.
“This budget was done in a rush and you know there are some issues that are cropping up. It is no longer going to be business as usual.
“So, those unusual things, if detected, we will work on them. It is not as if we are holding on to the budget. We are working collectively,” he added.
His consultation with the President, he said, was necessary because there were other bills pending before the National Assembly which requires such consultations.
He said: “There are issues that are really on ground. One is the budget. We also have two bills before the Senate that we need to start working on when we resume tomorrow. The Money Laundering Bill and the Criminal Information Sharing Bill
“There are issues other than those ones that are really on ground. This is how we are supposed to be doing it earlier. That is, coming into the Villa to consult and guide the proceedings in the Senate appropriately.
“Other than that, I don’t want you to see it as an unusual visit. I will be doing this often because this is how it is supposed to be.
“Again, I normally consult with the President on a personal basis long before he became the President, so it is not unusual. ” he stated
He disagreed with the suggestions that he was at the Villa to intercede on behalf of Senate President, Bukola Saraki over his ongoing prosecution at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).
He said: “I am not the Senate President. The question should be directed to the Senate President.
“You are asking me what I do not know. I consult and if I have to mediate on anything, there should be a problem. I do not know of any problem,” he said.
The Senate Leader, Ali Ndume on Tuesday said that the Senate President, Bukola Saraki will not step down from the number three position unless convicted by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).
He made the remark while speaking with State House correspondents after leading some senators to a meeting with the Acting President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The Senate Leader also noted that it would be hasty to condemn the Senate President before the outcome of the tribunal’s trial since he has not been pronounced guilty.
Ndume insisted that the closed door meeting with the Acting President was not to find a political solution to the travail of the Senate President but to solidarize with the Acting President.
On possibility of Nigerians believing his visit to Villa was to seek political solution to Saraki’s travail, he said: “It is not new for people to read meaning. Are you saying that the Senate President should be convicted before the trial?
“In our constitution, you are considered innocent until proven guilty,” he added.
Speaking on the reason for their visit, he said: “This government is our government. I am the Senate Leader in this government, so my coming here today is not supposed to be a new thing. My coming here should even be more regular.
“This is not the first time we are coming here. But this is the first time we are having the Vice President as acting President. That is one of the reasons why we are here.
“This is because we are setting a new example. During the previous government, the President will just go and leave the place blank,” he said.
Continuing, he said: “But this time around when our President goes for a few days, he transmitted to all Nigerians that the Vice President is to act as the President. So we came for the regular consultation. There is nothing new about it and we will be doing more of this.
“You should expect me to be coming here. Now we have the budget as work in progress; we have we have the new Money Laundering Bill before the Senate, we have many things we are looking at. We have come to come and consult on these,” he stated.
Among those who accompanied Ndume included Dino Melaye and Abdullahi Adamu.