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Tag: Senate

  • $5.9bn China Exim Bank rail loan: Senate summons Amaechi over exclusion of South-East

    $5.9bn China Exim Bank rail loan: Senate summons Amaechi over exclusion of South-East

    The Senate on Tuesday summoned the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, to explain why the eastern rail corridor was omitted in current government borrowing plan.

    The Senate said the minister should appear before its Committee on Foreign and Local Debts to explain details of the loan to be obtained from China Exim Bank.

    The invitation followed a motion raised during plenary by Sen. Eyinnaya Abaribe, who claimed that the Eastern Corridor Rail Line was completed excluded from the Federal Government 2016-2018 External Borrowing Plan.

    TheNewsGuru.com recalls that President Muhammadu Buhari had in a letter to the Senate dated April 21, said that the China Exim Bank had approved 5.9 billion dollar loan for rail projects across the country.

    Abaribe while presenting the motion observed that the loan being sought only covered the western corridor, excluding the eastern corridor which runs from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri.

    According to him, since the loan will be repaid for by all sections of the country, every part of Nigeria should be taken into consideration.

    Abaribe noted that the Railway Master Plan developed by the Ministry of Transport was not referred to in the current borrowing plan.

    He argued that for the railway project to have meaningful impact on the development of the country, it should cover all parts of Nigeria.

    Contributing, the Deputy Senate President, Mr Ike Ekweremadu said the rail project should cover all the corridors.

    “I’m aware that the Federal Government is committed to rehabilitating and upgrading the railway infrastructure in Nigeria since Obasanjo’s regime, but the eastern line still remains in the old gauge, it is not on the standard gauge,” he said.

    Ekweremadu said for every part of Nigeria to have standardised railway lines, “we must agree to obtain the necessary loan that will give us standard gauge in all parts of the country.

    “We must ensure that all parts of the country are connected so that people can move from one part to another”.

    However, Sen. Gbenga Ashafa (APC-Lagos) faulted the motion, saying it contained inadequate and inaccurate information.

    He said that when the present administration came to power, it took into cognisance the Aba-Onitsha rail line.

    “Let us do away with ethnic sentiments. All areas must be covered. Government is a continuum; the master plan is on ground.

    “All sectors will be covered as promised by the Federal Government. The loans must be secured and approved,” he said.

    In his remarks, President of the Senate, Dr Bukola saraki said that “at the leadership level we are taking up this matter with the executive.

    “And that was what led to the amendment of the letter that came from the President.

    “The first letter that came from the President did not specify that the South-East, North-East axis must also be standard gauge.

    “We then insisted at the leadership level that every part of the country must benefit from the same and there must be a standard gauge. And that has been done.

    “We have refered this to the Committee on Foreign and Local Debts,” he said.

    Saraki then called on his colleagues to ensure that the spirit of Buhari’s letter was followed through while also calling for sincerity and commitment in processing the loan.

     

     

    NAN

  • Senate frowns at non-submission of budgets by govt agencies

    The Senate has expressed concern over the failure of Government agencies to submit their 2017 budget proposal to the National Assembly in line with extant law.

    Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah who drew the attention of his colleagues to the abnormality during plenary on Tuesday, said it is wrong for agencies to spend money that has not been appropriated by the legislature.

    Na’Allah told the Senate that he intends to bring the issue to the floor as a motion so that Senators will understand the implications and the need to assist the government to fight corruption.

    “I deliberately decided that I will bring it on the floor, so that Senators will understand the implications,” Na’Allah said. “In our commitment to assist this government to fight corruption, we must stand on our feet that every spirit of our law must be obeyed by those holding public offices. I think that if you permit me I will like to come tomorrow by way of motion, so it can be debated on the Floor of the Senate.”

    Na’Allah added that “The only approach this Senate can take to assist this government in fighting corruption, is to insist that gross abuse of power and misuse of power must be stopped by every government agency. The only way we can build our institutions is to radically address the issue of abuse of power and misuse of power. I think that if you give me permission, I will like to bring it tomorrow as a motion.”

    Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, while ruling on the point of order, expressed displeasure over the failure by most government agencies to submit their 2017 budget proposals to the National Assembly for consideration and approval.

    The Senate President condemned the practice where agencies of government spend money without statutory approval by the National Assembly and ruled that the issue be debated and resolution taken by the Senate on Wednesday.

    Saraki said: “We are already in May. How can Parastatals be operating without any budget, especially in this time of the fight against corruption and ensuring that there is transparency in governance? We need to take this matter seriously because clearly these agencies are just flouting the guidelines and breaking the law.

    “This is a very serious issue because as we all know, in line with the Fiscal Responsibility Act, these budgets are meant to have been submitted to the National Assembly since August 2016.

    “They are supposed to have come with the Appropriation document. We have now passed the 2017 budget without the budgets of the parastatals. I think this matter really needs to come up as a motion because this is a very serious matter. We need to debate it,” he said.

    Saraki added: “Leader, this is a very important issue and we must debate it tomorrow and if there is any Committee in exception or that have received from agencies they oversight, then they will have the opportunity to at least clear the Parastatals and Agencies, that have sent their budgets.

    “But if as at middle of May, we are saying we have not received any budget from them, then which money are they spending and with what authority? We need to look into that and take a decision that may be they can only pay salaries until they bring their budgets here and approvals given.

    “I think once and for all, we need to address this issue and put an end to this disregard for laws and areas of corrupt practices,” the Senate President said

  • Senate to pass Whistle Blower Protection Bill in July

    President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, has said that the Senate will pass the Whistle Blower Protection Bill in July, 2017.

    He made this known at the launch of “Antidotes for Corruption: The Nigerian Story”, a book written by Sen. Dino Melaye, on Monday in Abuja.

    Saraki said that when backed by legislation, whistle-blowing would have greater value “and it is hoped that we can pass it before July this year”.

    According to him, other anti-corruption legislation being considered by the Senate, include the Proceeds of Crime Bill, the Special Anti-Corruption Court, which will be done through constitutional amendment and the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Bill.

    Saraki said that the executive and legislature must work hard to make it difficult for proceeds of corruption to find any hope.

    NAN

  • Malami lacks understanding of legislature – Senate

    Malami lacks understanding of legislature – Senate

    The Senate, through its Chairman, Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator David Umaru, has reacted to remarks credited to the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, Abaubakar Malami, SAN, that the President is disappointed that the National Assembly has refused to pass bills.

    Senate said the AGF’s comment was made out of lack of understanding with regards to workings of the legislature.

    According to Umaru, the 8th Senate does not delay bills but takes its time to ensure that it passes bills that would stand the test of time and in line with international best practices.

    Umaru told reporters in Abuja that: “The comment of the AGF is not a fair comment. It is a comment made out of lack of understanding with regards to workings of the legislature.

    “In this 8th Senate, we do not foot-drag on any Bill. We have a rule and process that guides all our legislation. Each Bill that comes up must go through the whole gamut of the process.

    “Take for example the Criminal and Mutual Assistance Bill of 2016. When the President’s letter was read on the floor as an Executive Communication, that constituted the First Reading of the Bill.

    “Then, it went through Second Reading, and after that, it was sent to the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, which I Chair, to handle it jointly with the Committees on Anti-Corruption and Foreign Affairs.

    “For a Bill like this, it is incumbent on us to conduct a public hearing. Hence, we did conduct one, where we took public views from stakeholders that included the Ministry of Justice, Law Reforms Commission, EFCC, and CBN.

    “After we sought the views of experts, we then sat down as a Committee, to review every clause, vis-a-vis, the opinions expressed by stakeholders and experts.

    “This is virtually concluded. We are now working to produce the Report, which will see it being presented to the plenary for consideration,” he said.

    On when the report is expected to be presented, the Senator said: “The report will be presented very soon. Any moment from now,” while noting that every bill goes through the same processes.

    According to him, the 8th Senate has decided that it will not rubber-stamp any Bill that has not gone through the laid down procedure and scrutiny, including taking the opinion of the public.

    “Therefore, I do not expect the AGF to think that when he brings a Bill to the parliament today, tomorrow he gets the law,” Umaru said: “The laws we make here, including this one, are laws for all Nigerians not for the executive or the legislature alone.

    “This is why the people must get what they fully deserve. Our laws must meet international standards. Therefore, international best practices must be observed in law making.

    “Every Anti-Corruption Bill before the National Assembly is being worked on. They are all receiving adequate attention. We are determined to support the executive in this lofty goal of fighting corruption.

    “We will not waver on this. The Senate President is committed — and he has shown the capacity to ensure that all such Bills receive expeditious but thorough processing.”

    On the Whistle Blower Bill, Umaru said: “This Bill has also gone beyond Public Hearing stage. The report is being prepared, so that it can be laid at the Senate plenary.

    “There is also another Anti-Corruption Bill, with the Anti-Corruption Committee, and I am sure that they are working seriously on it. Therefore, there is no basis to conclude that the Senate is stalling the passage of any executive or anti-corruption Bill.”

  • Finally, senate screens Buhari’s REC nominees

    Senate, on Wednesday, began the screening of the 27 persons nominated by President Muhammadu Buhari as Resident Election Commissioners of the Independent National Electoral Commission.

    Eight of the nominees were screened on Wednesday while the exercise continues on Thursday.

    The screening came seven weeks after the lawmakers suspended the consideration of the nominations in protest.

    The Senate had on March 28, 2017, suspended the consideration for two weeks to protest against the retention of Mr. Ibrahim Magu as Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission despite the rejection of his appointment by the legislature.

    The ultimatum had expired on April 11, 2017, but the matter was not raised in the Senate chamber until May 2, 2017, when the lawmakers considered Buhari’s request for legislative approval on the nominations.

    While the appointment of some RECs are new, others are reappointments.

    Those for new appointments are Prof. Godswill Obioma (Abia), Ibrahim Abdullahi (Adamawa), James Apam (Benue), Nwachukwu Orji (Ebonyi), Iloh Valentine (Enugu), Asmau Maikudi (Katsina), Mahmuda Isa (Kebbi), Prof. Samuel Egwu (Kogi), Prof. Mustapha Zubairu (Niger), Agboke Mutiu (Ogun), Abdul-Ganiyu Olayinka (Oyo) and Prof. Riskuwa Shehu (Sokoto).

    Others are Ahmad Mahmud (Zamfara), Nentewa Yilwatda (Plateau), Umar Ibrahim (Taraba), Emeka Ononamadu (Imo), Obo Effanga (Cross River), Prof. Francis Ezeonu (Anambra) and Briyia Frankland (Bayelsa).

    Those for reappointment are Ahmad Makama (Bauchi), Mike Igini (Delta), Hussaini Pai (FCT), Sadiq Musa (Kaduna), Jibrin Zarewa (Kano), Rufus Akeju (Lagos), Sam Olumekun (Ondo) and Kasim Geidam (Yobe).

    At the screening exercise on Wednesday, the Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly (Senate), Senator Ita Enang, formally presented the nominees to the Senate Committee on INEC for screening.

  • BREAKING:Senate receives 2017 Budget report, fixes Thursday for passage

    BREAKING:Senate receives 2017 Budget report, fixes Thursday for passage

    The Senate on Tuesday received the report of the Joint Committee on Appropriation and Finance on the 2017 Appropriation Bill.

    The report was laid at plenary by the Chairman of the Joint Committee on Appropriation, Sen. Danjuma Goje.

    In his remarks, Senate President Bukola Saraki, commended the committee for a job well done.

    He said the senate would ensure the passage of the bill on Thursday.

    Saraki commended the committee for laying the report with details, saying it would help speed up the passage of the bill.

    “On behalf of our colleagues let me congratulate the committee.

    “This is history been made, because this is the first time report of the Appropriation Bill will be laid with details.

    “Because of that, by tomorrow (Wednesday) you will get hard copies of the report, but the soft copy will be ready today.

    “We will distribute them and ensure we pass the bill on Thursday,’’ he said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that the 2017 Budget proposal report was laid four days after the expiration of the 2016 fiscal year.

    President Muhammadu Buhari had presented a budget proposal of N7.30 trillion for the 2017 fiscal year before a Joint Session of the National Assembly on Dec. 14, 2016.

    From details of the proposal presented by President Buhari, the sum of N2.24 trillion, representing 30.7 per cent, will be committed to capital expenditure, while N2.98 trillion will go to recurrent spending.

    Also, the oil benchmark price was set at 42.5 dollar per barrel and a production estimate of 2.2 million barrels per day.

    The proposal also put the aggregated revenue available to fund the budget at N4.94 tn, which is 28 per cent higher than that of 2016.(NAN)

  • Senate to pass 2017 budget on Tuesday – Senator Gobir

    Senator Ibrahim Gobir (APC-Sokoto) has assured Nigerians that the National Assembly will pass 2017 on Tuesday, May 9.

    “The delay in its passage is to allow the effective harmonisation of the documents by both the Senate and the House of Representatives,’’ Gobir, told newsmen in Sokoto on Saturday.

    Gobir said that the National Assembly was committed to further improving the general welfare of Nigerians.

    “The National Assembly members would, therefore, intensify oversight functions, ensure timely releases of funds, as well as ensure their judicious utilisation.

    “The National Assembly is for the entire country, but, we will continue to provide checks and balances, and will always advise properly,’’ he said

    Gobir further said that the National Assembly was trying its best to ensure peace and harmony among all arms of government.

    According to him, the lawmakers are not oblivious of the principles of separation of powers as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution.

    “We will continue to operate as partners and will always have mutual respective for all the arms and tiers of government.

    “The governments are trying their best to sustain peace and order in the country, just as the Boko Haram insurgency had been surmounted.

    “We will continue to support the governments in this direction to make lives better, secure and more prosperous for all Nigerians,’’ Gobir said.

  • Why we reduced cameramen covering Senate’s plenaries ─ Saraki

    Why we reduced cameramen covering Senate’s plenaries ─ Saraki

    …says ‘I have nothing against the press’

    Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki has said he has nothing personal against the press especially as it relates to the reduction in the number of media houses covering Senate plenary.

    Saraki noted that not all those carrying cameras are authentic journalist. He said the security situation in the country makes it imperative for the Senate to take the decision.

    Special Adviser to the Senate President on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Yusuph Olaniyonu, in a telephone interview with The Punch, said the Senate, and the National Assembly by extension, had nothing against the press.

    He said the chamber’s gallery was still open to journalists and members of the public to observe proceedings.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the Senate, had on Thursday, restricted coverage of its proceedings to six television stations. This forced all the cameramen to boycott coverage of the plenary at the chamber.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that thirteen television stations had been accredited to gain entry into the chamber to cover plenary but the coverage was now restricted to African Independent Television, Nigerian Television Authority, Channels Television, Silverbird Television, Television Continental and the in-house New Age.

    However, the Senate Press Corps had protested against the restriction and filed a petition to the Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Sabi Abdullahi.

    Olaniyonu, however, said the restriction was only for “physical entry” of persons into the chamber. He said plenaries were usually broadcast at the Press Centre and proceedings could be monitored on television.

    He said, “We must restrict physical access into the chamber. It is not everybody who carries a camera and claims to be a journalist that should be allowed in the chamber. If you look at the new list of approved media houses critically, you will see that all sides have been considered – both government, pro-government, opposition stations are there.

    “We must restrict physically entry into the chamber. There is a gallery at the chamber that is open to every observer of the plenary. Some things are going on in that place, which we cannot make public in print. We can only restrict physical presence of persons in the chamber. There is even a press gallery, which all journalists have unhindered access to. There are people who pretend to be pressmen in order to gain entry into the chamber. Not everybody who holds a camera should be allowed in.”

  • JUST IN: Senate reduces number of TV stations covering plenary to 6

    JUST IN: Senate reduces number of TV stations covering plenary to 6

    …As cameramen boycott coverage of today’s plenary in protest

    The Senate, on Thursday, restricted coverage of its proceedings to six television stations from the initial accredited thirteen.

    The restriction however led to a boycott of the plenary by all the cameramen.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the restriction came less than 24 hours after Senate President Bukola Saraki held a chat with journalists at the Senate to mark the World’s Press Freedom Day, where he charged them to report creditably the activities of the senate without propaganda.

    He also assured the press of the freedom to carry out their responsibilities.

    Thirteen television stations had been accredited to gain entry into the chamber to cover plenaries, but the coverage has now been restricted to six TV stations comprising the Africa Independent Television, Nigerian Television Authority, Channels Television, Silverbird Television, Television Continental and the in-house New Age.

    The Senate Press Corps, however, protested against the restriction.

    Chairman of the corps, Mr. Cosmas Ekpunobi, in a petition to the Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Sabi Abdullahi, urged the management of the National Assembly to rescind the decision.

    The petition read in part, “The attention of the Senate Press Corps leadership has been drawn to a decision by the Senate bureaucracy to further reduce the number of television crews covering Senate plenary from 13 to six.

    “The change came into operation today, precipitating the reported boycott by the cameramen today of all Senate proceedings.”

    “Recall, sir, that we had a meeting on Wednesday with the Clerk of the Senate on the subject matter, during which he raised some issues and alleged misconduct by some of our colleagues.

    “The leadership of the Senate Press Corps, however, accepted to call our erring members to order and to get back to the clerk for further action. We expected the clerk to also rescind his decision pending the outcome of our meeting with the cameramen today.

    “We want to reiterate here that the Senate Press Corps leadership will never condone any unprofessional conduct by any of our members, even though we have been told that there are other cameramen covering the chamber who are not our registered members but are brought in by principal officers and other senators.

    “We had since referred the said misconduct to our disciplinary committee for necessary action.”

    Ekpunobi noted that the issue could still be resolved through dialogue.

    He added, “We do not also want to subscribe to certain insinuations in some quarters that the new policy is another step to gag journalists covering the upper chamber, especially as the Senate President paid us a visit on Wednesday to celebrate the World Press Freedom Day.

    “We have been repeatedly told that there is no parliament in the world where cameramen are allowed into the chamber. But we are also aware that such chambers, as mentioned, have functional central pool units where broadcast cameramen using latest television technologies such as Ultra High Definition cameras operate to deliver quality feeds.

    “And until such equipment are installed with the requisite broadcast professionals to man them, we plead for a stay of execution.”

    Ekpunobi, therefore, urged Abdullahi to prevail on the Senate bureaucracy and leadership to reverse the policy.

    “In the meantime, we see the development as very unhealthy and a recipe for avoidable friction between the media as a professional body and the National Assembly,” he added.

  • N30trn Customs Probe: Senate uncovers more leakages, expands investigation panel

    N30trn Customs Probe: Senate uncovers more leakages, expands investigation panel

    The Senate on Thursday expanded its panel currently investigating alleged N30 trillion revenue leakage in the Nigeria Customs Service following revelation of more leakages.

    This followed a “Point of Order’’ raised by the Chairman, Committee on Customs Excise and Tariff, Sen. Hope Uzodinma, at plenary.

    The chamber also mandated the Committee on Marine Transport to collaborate with the committee on Customs, in the probe in view of more revelations emanating from the exercise.

    Uzodinma, who was made chairman of the joint committee, cited Order 42 and Order 52, and said that the committee discovered more startling discoveries beyond the N30 trillion currently being investigated.

    According to him, the committee requires more hands in the investigation as it discovered that beyond foreign exchange fraud, more trillions of Naira was lost to shady deals by some Asian companies.

    “The recent one which is mind-blowing is that shipping companies will load full cargoes worth billions of Naira, come into the country and go to bonded terminals, offload and Nigeria Government will not collect one kobo.

    “All they do is informal negotiation with the terminal operators, the regulators and then they will offload. This is an international crime.

    “We have identified over 228 vessels with their registration numbers, the terminals where they offloaded and we are going through Customs database tracking every shipment and vessel that came and offloaded.

    “There is another fraud we discovered, which is, all the Asian companies moving all their goods to Cotonou in Benin Republic and these goods are meant for Nigerian market.

    “From our investigation, the companies change their documents by mid night as if the shipment is either done from Cote d’ivoire or Cotonou and they move into Nigeria,’’ he said.

    While lamenting the level of decay in the system, Uzodinma added that the fraudulent activities were carried out through various infractions, including incorrect classification, undervaluation, under-declaration and incorrect origin.

    He stressed that the money being lost through the infractions was more than what the country was getting from crude oil, lamenting that nothing serious was being done about it.

    The lawmaker, who said the investigation panel would explore all available data on the matter, added that it would bring it to a logical conclusion to save the country from losing money that should have been used for development.

    “On Tuesday Nov. 15, 2016, we debated the motion on the need to examine the operations of the Nigeria Customs Service revenue drive.

    “We resolved to mandate the committee on customs to carry out a holistic investigation into the activities of the service.

    “This was with a view to identifying the leakages and irregularities in the import and export circle as well as causes of the reducing revenue profile of the service, and come up with recommendations.

    “We have gone into this assignment and honestly speaking, we have identified between 2006 and 2017, over N30 trillion worth of foreign exchange in form of approved Form M and there is no evidence that the goods came into the country.

    “The commercial banks apply for this foreign exchange and the Central Bank of Nigeria allocates it to them and these monies are transferred to foreign banks and there is no evidence to show that the goods came into the country.

    “So they have been round-tripping with the limited foreign exchange we have in Nigeria,’’ he said.

    In his remarks, the Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided at the plenary, said the senate ought to be commended for blowing whistle into the fraud in the Customs Service.

    He expressed concern that while Nigeria was seeking loans from foreign organisations, it was losing trillions of Naira that would have been used for developmental purposes.

    “The Committee on Marine Transport will join the committee on customs to have a holistic investigation into this matter.

    “I think this is one area the law enforcement agencies must move in quickly to ensure that these monies are recovered.

    “We cannot be going to China and all over the world trying to borrow money when we can recover easily all the monies that were lost through some corrupt practices.

    “This is one area the senate must be praised for blowing a whistle. This is the real whistle,’’ Ekweremadu said.

    He commended the committee for a job well-done and urged it to expedite action on the investigation, adding that recovering such money would enable the country to implement the 2017 budget effectively.

     

    NAN