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Tag: NASS

  • 2018 budget: CSO tells NASS to avoid another budget padding scandal

    Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) has called on the National Assembly to diligently scrutinise the 2018 Budget to avoid another budget padding scandal in the country.

    Legal Adviser of the organization, Mr Adesina Oke, made the call while addressing newsmen in Abuja and said that it was imperative to eliminate frivolous and wasteful allocations in the budget.

    Oke said that the poor level of implementation of the 2017 budget was lamentable.

    He said that apart from the delay in the passage of budgets, implementation level of less than 20 per cent called for serious concerns.

    “It is bad enough that capital allocations are usually inadequate and frivolous, wasteful provisions, poor disbursement and utilization only create economic uncertainties and negative impacts on the welfare of citizens.

    “As at this day, the 2018 budget is not close to being passed and the month of April is being projected for its passage.

    “For a pre-election year, this is a recipe for economic crisis and avenue for corruption and unapproved spending which could be diverted for political party or selfish uses by various MDAs.

    “We must overhaul our budget making process to make it more open, transparent and result –oriented,’’ he said.

    Oke also urged the National Assembly to follow through with the confirmation of all outstanding executive appointments by carrying out constructive and objective scrutiny of appointees without prejudice and political sentiments.

    He called on the National Assembly to ensure effective oversight of the MDAs to avoid wastages, abuse and misuse of public funds for any purposes other than serving the interest of Nigerians.

    On his part, Mr Vanccan Prusa, Manager Anti-Corruption, CISLAC, urged the government and security agencies to render the highest level of protection and unconditional political state support to anti-corruption agencies.

    Prusa said that international commitments stipulated during the anti-corruption summit in London anchored on open government partnership should be fulfilled if international community would be convinced about the seriousness of Nigeria to fight corruption.

    He said that whistle blowers should be provided legal provision and assurances from the highest political level that their lives were protected and their actions glorified while exposing corruption.

    Prusa also advised that immediate appointment and prompt inauguration of National Procurement Council as provided in the Public Procurement Act should be accelerated to curb continued systemic corruption in the nation’s procurement process.

     

  • FCC Chairman wants synergy with NASS

    The Acting Chairman, Federal Character Commission (FCC), Dr Shettima Abba, has called for close synergy between the commission, governors, National Assembly members and other stakeholders.

    This is contained in a statement issued on Monday by Mr Dipo Akinsola, Director, Public Affairs and Communication, FCC, Abuja.

    The acting chairman made the call at an engagement with the Senate Committee public hearing on FCC’s 2018 budget defence.

    Abba said this synergy was necessary in order to ensure that all anomalies in terms of under-representations are adequately addressed.

    He solicited for the assistance of the senators particularly from the states where the commission had no state officers to interface with the governors of those states.

    He said such collaboration would help the commission secure land to build its state offices, enable it meet its mandate of monitoring manpower, and even distribution of amenities and infrastructural facilities.

    The statement also quoted Abba debunking some media reports on Jan. 12 as telling the Senate Committee that Commissioners indulge in job racketeering.

    “The report was not true and did not represent what transpired at the Senate Committee hearing on the Federal Character Commission’s 2018 budget defence,’’ it said.

    It therefore advised the media to always seek for clarification before going to press, assuring that “our doors are always open’’.

     

  • Court grants SERAP leave to compel FG to prosecute NASS officers over ‘padding of N481bn’

    There is prospect Nigerians keen on knowing the truth about alleged padding of the 2016 budget may soon have some answers, as the Federal High Court in Lagos has granted a bid by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) “to seek an order of Mandamus to direct and compel the Federal Government to prosecute some principal officers of the National Assembly over allegations of padding and stealing of some N481bn from the 2016 budget.”

    The decision by Justice Mohammed Idris last Friday has now cleared the way for SERAP to advance its case against the Federal Government on the publication of the reports of investigation into the allegations of budget padding and prosecution of indicted officers of the National Assembly.

    The decision also grants permission to SERAP to seek an order to compel the Federal Government to “closely monitor and scrutinize the spending of N131 billion (accrued from increased oil bench mark) allocated for additional non-constituency projects expenditure, to remove the possibility of corruption.”

    Justice Idris granted the order for leave following the hearing of an argument in court on exparte motion by SERAP counsel Mrs Joke Fekumo. The motion on notice is set for Friday 26 January 2018, for the hearing of argument on why the reports by anticorruption agencies on the investigation into the alleged budget padding should not be published and why indicted officers should not be prosecuted.

    The suit number FHC/L/CS/1821/2017 filed last year followed “credible information received by SERAP from multiple sources that the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have completed investigations into the allegations of padding of the 2016 budget, completed their reports, and indicted some principal officers of the House of Representatives and the Senate, and that the accounts of some of the principal officers containing allegedly illicit funds have been frozen, and that the case files for the prosecution of those indicted were ready.”

    The suit read in part: “Unless the principal officers indicted in the alleged padding of the 2016 budget are prosecuted and any stolen public funds recovered, the Federal Government will not be able to stop padding of future budgets. Alleged corruption in the budget process will not just melt away or simply evaporate without addressing the fundamental issue of impunity of perpetrators.”

    “Addressing alleged corruption in the budget process by pursuing prosecution of indicted principal officers of the National Assembly will provide an important opportunity for the Federal Government to reignite the fight against corruption and fulfil a cardinal campaign promise, to show that the Federal Government works on behalf of the many, and not the few, as well as jumpstart economic activities and break the back of the recession.”

    “Publishing the report of the investigation of the alleged padding of the 2016 budget, and prosecuting suspected perpetrators are absolutely important to avoid another padding, which the Federal Government can ill afford.”

    “Corruption in the budget process takes away and erodes much needed resources for public and developmental purposes. The level of secrecy surrounding the budget process in the National Assembly has invariably created a breeding place for alleged corruption. Secrecy in the National Assembly has clearly gone beyond the level permitted by law, and apparently served as the incubator for corruption, while depriving the Nigerian people of a much-needed opportunity to cleanse the National Assembly of persistent allegations of corruption.”

    “Deception in the budget process will continue unless Nigerians are granted access to inspect the budget process and other activities by the National Assembly. SERAP strongly believes that Nigerians have the right to know what their lawmakers are doing so that they are able to appraise their work and hold them to account.”

    “It is in the interest of justice to grant this application as the Federal Government has nothing to lose if the reliefs sought are granted.”

    “The allegations of crime of budget padding against the indicted principal officers of the National Assembly is a gross deprivation of the good people of Nigeria’s legitimate wealth and natural resources. We respectfully urge your Lordship to hold that the citizens of Nigeria have been deprived of their natural wealth and the indicted principal members be prosecuted by the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation.”

  • JUST IN: Panic as Shiites members protest, clash with Police in Abuja

    JUST IN: Panic as Shiites members protest, clash with Police in Abuja

    There was pandemonium at the National Assembly complex in Abuja as protesting members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) clashed with the police.

    The Shiites members who were protesting for the release of their leader, Ibraheem El-Zakzaky who has been detained along with his wife since 2015.

    The police in collaboration with civil defence operatives tear gas the protesters and arrested a few of them.

    The police also fired gunshots in the air, causing fear and pandemonium as people ran for safety.

    The number of those arrested could not be immediately ascertained as at the time of filing this report.

    Efforts to reach the Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood for comments was unsuccessful.

     

    Details shortly…

  • Police declare me wanted because I refused to pay N10m bribe – Suspected Badoo kingpin, Alaka

    …says I will appear before IG, NASS members, not Imohimi’

    Wanted Badoo kingpin, Alhaji Alaka Abayomi has declared his intention to appear before the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris and National Assembly members for investigations.

    The wanted kingpin said he is not ready to appear before the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi because he (Imohimi) will compromise investigations.

    He also alleged that he was declared wanted by the Lagos State Police Command because he refused to pay a N10m bribe they requested.

    Recall that Alaka had earlier been declared wanted by the Lagos State Police Command.

    Alaka spoke in a telephone interview The Punch on Wednesday.

    Recall one Fatai Adebayo, who allegedly administered oaths on Badoo members before they went on operations was equally arrested on Wednesday.

    On that same Wednesday, the Lagos State Government sealed off Alaka’s filling station and hotel on Ijebu-Ode-Itoikin Road, in the Sabo area of Ikorodu, saying the facilities violated the state’s Urban and Regional Planning Law of 2010.

    However the embattled business said he was not apprehended and challenged the police to come up with evidence against him. He was, however, evasive when asked where exactly he was.

    Alaka, who spoke in Yoruba, said, “What evidence did the police have before calling me Badoo (kingpin)? Did any suspect mention my name? What does sealing my property have to do with this case? I applied and paid for the Certificate of Occupancy for the filling station five years ago, but I have not got it. I have evidence of payments.

    “Since the police declared me wanted, no policeman came to my house or office to invite me. The police have my number, but they did not call me on the telephone for invitation. I don’t believe I am wanted because no invitation was sent to me. Since the police said they were looking for Badoo members, they have not arrested any prime suspect.

    “I want the government to intervene. I am ready to appear before the police or any investigative body, but not before the Lagos State Police Command and Edgal (Imohimi). A team should be set up to investigate the matter, particularly from Abuja. He (Edgal) declared me a Badoo kingpin, but what evidence does he have? About five security men guarding the filling station have been arrested.”

    Alaka explained further that he had sued the police command and Imohimi at the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, for blackmail, but the respondents had yet to appeared before the court.

    He alleged that the court had also delayed ruling on an injunction application filed by his lawyer, seeking that the police be restrained from arresting him (Alaka) pending the determination of the substantive suit – blackmail.

    The 51-year-old claimed that his issues with the police started when he declined to pay N10m bribe an Investigating Police Officer reportedly demanded from him.

    He said, “I can no longer walk freely around Ikorodu for fear of area boys administering jungle justice on me. I have read about the herbalist that was arrested. I don’t know him. Why didn’t police allow him to talk to journalists? The case should be transferred from the Lagos State Command; they have dented my image. I sleep in my house in Magodo; no policeman came to arrest me.

    “I will not show up at the Lagos State Police Command for three reasons: one, they don’t have evidence against me. I was arrested and released the following day without being told to write a statement.

    “Secondly, the CP has refused to appear in court. The case has been in court since August 2017. For three adjourned dates, the court was said to be on vacation. During the last sitting, the judge adjourned till February 2018 for ruling on the injunction, which is very suspicious.

    “Thirdly, I will not surrender myself to the CP because he will compromise investigation. But I am ready to appear before the Inspector-General of Police and the National Assembly.

    “The genesis of this issue was when the IPO requested that I should pay N10m to settle some police officers at the command. It was when I refused to pay the money that I was arrested. I have petitioned the National Assembly and the IG on this.”

    When contacted for reactions to the allegations made by the suspect, the Lagos State Police Public Relations, SP Chike Oti, said he had no comment.

    He said, “I have no comment to make because the case is under investigation. Everything concerning the subject is under investigation. The command won’t bandy words with him. He is being wanted by the police and he should turn himself in.”

  • NASS will ensure full implementation of 2018 budget – Adepoju

    Hon. Sunday Adepoju (APC-Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency) on Saturday gave an assurance that the National Assembly would ensure full implementation of the 2018 budget.

    Adepoju told newsmen in Eruwa, headquarters of Ibarapa East Local Government of Oyo State, that the federal lawmakers would also strive to ensure prompt passage of the fiscal proposal.

    He said: “Budget is an estimation of expected expenditure from expected revenue. If expected revenue is not met, then the expected expenditure would not be met.

    “Though it is rare to see any country implementing the budget 100 percent but we will ensure it is implemented fully to bring rapid economic recovery.

    “As a member of the National Assembly, we are going to pass the budget quickly and will ensure that it is fully implemented.

    “ If it is poorly implemented, it will affect every Nigerian, including us,’’ he said.

    He expressed optimism that the nation would witness more economic development in 2018 than that experienced in the outgoing year.

    The two-term lawmaker stated that the present National Assembly had improved rapidly in the discharge of its statutory functions.

    “Our relationship with the executive is very cordial as against the insinuations in the public domain. We have only made the executive know that we are not rubber stamp.

    “We have only ensured that the principle of separation of powers is respected. With this, I can tell you that Nigeria’s democracy is taking shape,’’ he said.

    Adepoju also said that the anti-corruption crusade of President Muhammadu Buhari had drastically reduced the scourge.

    “I can’t say because APC is my party, everything is rosy. The president is trying, that I can proudly say.

    “ I think the president has slowed down due to his health challenges and judicial process.

    “In Nigeria, we have lawyers who are ready to paint white as black in the public. It is left for Nigerians and the media to expose them,’’ he added.

    The lawmaker, who dismissed insinuations of a cold relationship between the president and a leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, said that the party would win convincingly in the 2019 general elections.

    “Nigerians gave us the mandate in 2015 to return the country to its glorious path and they have never told us that they are tired of us.

    “The only thing I know is that things are not working as expected but we all know that the damage of 16 years is not something that could be fixed in just two years.

    “In Nigeria, the economic and political systems have been battered. Our psyche has been affected but today our orientation is beginning to change.

    “Today, our people are now experiencing development in Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Osun and some other states,’’ he said.

     

  • FG, NASS working to eliminate bureaucracy on ease of doing business – Osinbajo

    Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has assured Nigerians that the executive and the legislature were collaborating on efforts that would eliminate bureaucracy on efforts to establish new businesses in Nigeria.

    He spoke at an Impact Award event held at the old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    The programme was organized by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC).

    The event was meant to recognize individuals, ministries, departments and agencies who contributed to Nigeria’s rise in the World Bank Ease of Doing Business ranking.

    He said: “We are working hard on the attitudes of bureaucrats and persons who have been charged with the responsibility of making things easy.

    “Whole business of processing pre-investment approvals and all of that should be with the view to making things easy not with a view to becoming an obstacle of sort.”

    The vice president commended the improved attitude of bureaucrats, adding that government was working to ensure that continuous progress was made in that regard.

  • Fuel Scarcity: NASS cautions security personnel against shunting at filling stations

    The National Assembly on Friday said security personnel were compounding the hardship being faced by motorists in getting petrol in the prevailing scarcity of the product across the country.

    The Senate and House of Representatives Joint Committee on Petroleum (Downstream) made the allegation during the committee’s inspection tour of filling stations in the Federal Capital Territory.

    The chairman of the joint committee, Kabiru Marafa, urged heads of security agencies, including the military, to caution their personnel against shunting and aiding illegalities in filling stations in the territory.

    Mr. Marafa said as organisations that held discipline in high esteem, it was disturbing to find that security agents were contributing to the problems associated with the current fuel problems in parts of the country.

    ”I have told NNPC management to write all the security chiefs on the activities of their men.

    ”The military as we know is the highest responsible organisation. Everybody respects the military.

    “So, I am appealing to military and para-military agencies to call their men to order because what we saw today is unpleasant and not good for their image.

    ”They could have their filling stations for supplies because the idea of going to the filling stations to obstruct traffic and to cause long queues is not good at all.

    ”The ones we met and talked to respected themselves and left but that is not to say they will not come back when we leave.

    ”Unfortunately, with this development, even the civilians take a cue from them and further contribute to the obstruction,” he said.

    The lawmaker said that there was ordinarily no cause for the present situation, and urged all Nigerians irrespective of position to contribute their quota towards finding solution to the artificial scarcity.

    ”The President has given instructions that the NNPC should ensure adequate supply, but it is one thing to give instruction.

    ”If there are problems associated with either the supply, distribution or dispensing, there will still be problems.

    ”Since we started oversight, we have turned into a task force, controlling traffic, among others.

    ”The causative factors for the current situation boil down to indiscipline and selfishness which is summed up to corruption.

    ”The rumour by just a few about planned increase in the pump price of petroleum products in the country is what has led to the current situation.

    ”It is glaring that the information that led to this present situation is the handiwork of enemies of government and the people,” he said.

    The lawmaker further said that another problem was hoarding by marketers “just to maximise profit’’. Even some of the filling stations with large storage facilities hoard the commodity he added.

    ”Interestingly, Nigeria is a very religious country with the two major religions preaching love. But, here we are, with everybody trying to take advantage of the other person, yet we blame government.

    ”From our assessment, most of the filling stations have enough fuel but it takes so long for motorists to get into the stations because of those shunting.”

    Mr. Marafa assured Nigerians that information available to the committee from the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) indicated that that more supplies would be made across the country.

    According to him, about 160 trucks service Abuja on a good day but because of the current situation, 227 trucks will be entering Abuja now.

    He added that daily consumption of fuel across the country was in the range of 40 million litres.

    ”I have on good authority from NNPC that we have over a billion litres of the commodity in our strategic reserve that should last the country for about 18 days.

    ”Also, we have been told that 21 vessels will be arriving before the end of the year and one vessel has 50 million litres capacity,” he said.

    The chairman assured Nigerians that the committee would continue to interface with relevant stakeholders in ensuring that the situation eased off in few days.

    He also assured that the committee would continue its oversight of filling stations to check some sharp practices that had led to the hardship.

  • Saraki leads NASS delegation to 137th IPU in Russia

    Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki on Thursday led a National Assembly delegation to partake in the 137th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly taking place in St. Petersburg, Russia, with the theme: “Promoting Cultural Pluralism and Peace through Inter-faith and Inter-ethnic Dialogue.”

    Saraki who is a member of the Governing Board of the IPU, according to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Sanni Onogu, in Abuja, will present a keynote address to the Assembly, partake in debates and meet with the Chairman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Valentina Matvienko.

    The President of the Senate is also expected to meet with the Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Vyacheslav Volodin, the President of the House of Councillors of Morocco, Hakim Benchamach and hold an interactive session with Nigerians in Diaspora (NID-Russia) at the sidelines.

    Some of the issues slated for consideration during the session include the draft resolutions on the 20th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration on Democracy (by IPU standing Committee on Democracy and Human Rights), the role of the UN General Assembly in International Governance (by IPU standing Committee on United Nations Affairs), briefing on the parliamentary contribution to the 2017 UN Climate Change Conference and a debate on engaging the private sector in implementing the SDGs, especially on renewable energy (by the IPU standing Committee on Sustainable Development, Finance and trade).

    Others are the expert hearing on sustaining peace as a vehicle for achieving sustainable development (by IPU standing Committee on Peace and International Security) and the election of a new IPU President (zoned to South America) to replace Mr. S. Chowdhury (Bangladesh), whose term expires at the end of the 201st Session of the Governing Council of the IPU.

    Other delegates to the event taking place between 14 – 18 October, 2017, include the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives who is the Deputy Leader of Delegation, Hon. Sulaimon Lasun Yussuff, Senators Bayero Usman Nafada, Kabiru Gaya, Rafiu Ibrahim and Stella Oduah.

    Hon. Samuel Ikon, Hon. Raphael Nnanna Igbokwe, Hon. Abubakar Hassan Fulata and Hon. Funke Adedoyin are attending from the Green Chambers while advisers on the team are Sen. Duro Faseyi and Hon. Abdulsamad Dasuki.

    Officials of the National Assembly in the team are the Clerk to the National Assembly, Mr. Mohammed Sani-Omolori, Secretary, Finance and Accounts, Alhaji Lasisi Bukoye, Clerk to the Senate, Nelson Ayewoh, Secretary to the National Group, Mrs. Rabi Audu, Special Adviser, General Duties to the CNA, Ms. Iliya Navati, and Clerk Senate Committee on Inter-Parliamentary Affairs, Mr. Okoh Bernard Uzeme.

  • NASS will ensure Nigeria is readmitted into EGMONT group – Dogara

    …Says Nigeria’s suspension from EGMONT group major setback for anti-graft war

    The suspension of Nigeria from the EGMONT group is a major setback for the Federal government’s fight against corruption, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has said.

    Hon Dogara said the National Assembly is working to ensure that the suspension placed on Nigeria is lifted within the shortest possible time.

    Speaking when he received in audience the Director General of Inter-Governmental Action Group Against Money Laundering (GIABA), in West Africa, a unit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Col. Adama Coulibaly, who was accompanied by the Director of the NFIU Francis Usani in his office, the Speaker stated that Nigeria’s suspension was a rude shock because the APC government is committed to the fight against corruption.

    He said the fight against corruption cannot be successful without support and cooperation from other countries because in most cases proceeds of corruption are taken out of the country and kept in other jurisdictions.

    “No nation can survive as an island. It will take the collective cooperation by agencies different countries to combat both terrorism and corruption and said: “Unfortunately we are facing the two in Nigeria with the Boko Haram violence in the North East.”

    “It is impossible to fight terrorism and corruption without strong legal framework,” he added.

    He explained that there are two bills on anti-terrorism and anti-money laundering and mutual assistance on reparation of corruption proceeds that are pending before the House which will soon be passed into law.

    However, the Speaker explained that the House was yet to pass the Bill seeking to grant total autonomy to the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit as forwarded from the Senate because there was the need to meet with key stakeholders and players to know their expectations so as to avoid expulsion of Nigeria from the group.

    Speaking earlier, Col Coulibaly said he was in Nigeria on advocacy visit on the hosting of GIABA statutory meetings slated for November in Nigeria and assess Nigeria’s application to join the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

    Col Coulibaly also urged Nigerian leaders to work to ensure that the country meets the minimum requirements and standards needed in order to be admitted into the FATF which will make it second African country to join the group after South Africa.

    He stated that the bills pending before the National Assembly should conform and comply to international standard.