TheNewsGuru

Tag: Senate

  • Budget defence: Senate uncovers fresh N2bn in Fashola’s proposal

    Budget defence: Senate uncovers fresh N2bn in Fashola’s proposal

    The Senate on Tuesday was thrown into a mild drama session as the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola could not explain how an additional N2bn came about in his ministry’s budget proposal.

    However, Fashola denied knowledge of the N2bn allocated to Regional Housing Scheme in the 2017 budget proposal of the ministry.

    The minister, who appeared before the committee to defend the proposal, referred the lawmakers to the Ministry of Finance for information on the controversial item.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the item was labeled FMOW99934089.

    “I know as much of it as you do,” Fashola told members of the committee.

    He further noted that he had no knowledge on the N2bn allocation as it was discovered in the proposal after it was worked upon by the Ministry of Finance.

    The Chairman of the committee, Senator Barnabas Gemade, requested that the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, be invited to explain the insertion of the allocation.

    The following conversation ensued between Fashola and Gemade during the budget defence:

    Gemade: Finally, what is this provision of N2bn for regional housing scheme? What is regional housing scheme? Where is it taking place? What is happening? Have you seen it on Page 18?

    Fashola: It is not our project. It came in from, I think, the Budget (Office). It is a Ministry of Finance initiative; saying that they want to do what they called ‘family homes’. It is not from us.

    Gemade: Yes, but they have put it here; otherwise, we will not be in the position to accept it.

    Fashola: I know as much of it as you do sir.

    Gemade: But you are here to defend this budget in totality.

    Fashola: That is why I have come. I am explaining to you now, sir, on how it came into our budget. That is not what we submitted. We didn’t submit that proposal.

    Gemade: So, will the ministry be kind enough to tell the people who put this in this budget to come forward and let us know?

    Fashola: Please.

    Gemade: Let us know what is regional housing programme because government cannot be operated in secrecy.

    Fashola: I think the committee, if you permit me to bring this suggestion…

    Gemade: …should invite them?

    Fashola: Yes, sir.

    Gemade: But you know the people; we don’t know them.

    Fashola: No, sir. We just said finance sir.

    Gemade: Finance ministry?

    Fashola: Yes sir.

    Gemade: We will write to the minister.

    Fashola: Please do sir.

    Gemade: (Pointing to the committee’s secretariat) Write to the minister: We have seen this line, which costs N2bn. Let them send information here for us to know what it is all about.

  • Arik: Senate summons AMCON boss, to appear today

    Arik: Senate summons AMCON boss, to appear today

    Following the take-over of the management of Arik Air by the Federal Government, the Senate has summoned the management of Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON.

    This came as the airline’s new management announced suspension of flights to London and South Africa to focus on domestic and West African operations.

    In a notice signed by the Clerk, Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions, N.P. Ikeokwu and pasted on the Senate Press Corps Notice Board, the management of AMCON would appear today to deliberate with the senators on the take over of the airline.

    The Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions is chaired by Senator Rafiu Ibrahim, APC, Kwara South.

    The notice read: “The Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions is meeting with the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON.Room 324 to deliberate on the takeover of the Arik Airline by the Federal Government of Nigeria.”

    The Federal Government took over Arik Air to prevent it from going bust last week.

    AMCON spokesman Jude Nwauzor, had said: “AMCON has taken over the management of Arik because the whole place is in a mess.

    “We have appointed a new management to stabilise the airline and prevent it from going down.”

    Meanwhile, Arik Air yesterday said it was suspending international flight operations to London and South Africa to focus on domestic and West African routes.

    This decision, according to the new management, will enable the airline engage and discuss with creditors who have become restive since the intervention of AMCON.

  • NASS rates 2016 budget performance high

    The Deputy Whip of the House of Representatives, Rep. Pally Iriase, says that the 2016 budget performance was better compared to the previous budgets.

    Iriase on Friday in Abuja, said though the budget was not signed into law early, its performance still met expectations.

    “The reality is that this budget 2016 has performed better than any budget in recent past.
    “This budget was not signed into law until May 2016; by that you have had a budget that has probably worked for seven months.

    “Ideally we should have been talking about a budget that is in its eighth month. What percentage can it have? In a full year, budgets under the previous regimes were never able to do 50 per cent.

    “And when we say budget, we are usually talking about capital budget.’’

    The lawmaker added that the recurrent budget had a way of performing 100 per cent unlike the capital budget.

    “If you agree with me that the capital budget is usually the core one, then this government has done much better.

    “As we speak, you have between 50 and 75 per cent in terms of releases.’’

    Iriase explained that the procurement process that was introduced also slowed down the system.

    “We all saluted those who brought the procurement process. We said it was going to fight corruption but it has become a veritable tool of slowing down the system.
    “I suggest that we find a way to fast track the procurement system without compromising our desire for a clean implementation,’’ he said.

  • ‘Stop making unguarded remarks against legislature,’ Senate warns Amaechi

    ‘Stop making unguarded remarks against legislature,’ Senate warns Amaechi

    THE Senate described statement by the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi that the refusal of the National Assembly to approve the request of the government for foreign loan that will be used for counterpart funding was frustrating the construction of the Lagos-Ibadan and Ibadan-Ilorin-Minna -Kano rail lines as false, misrepresenting and contradictory.

    In a statement Wednesday by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, the Senate asked the former governor of Rivers State to as a matter of urgency, withdraw the statement, adding that what he said was contradictory to available facts and what he said was not in tune with the position of the government in which he is serving.

    Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi was alleged to have made the remarks in Ilorin on Monday during the North Central Town Hall meeting by the Federal Government.

    Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, said, “As at today, the only request for approval from the Executive for loan was the one dated January 27, 2017 and signed by Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo seeking a “resolution of the National Assembly For the Issuance of USD 1 Billion EuroBond In the International Capital Market For The Funding of the 2016 Budget Deficit” and we immediately granted the approval.

    “Also, in the letter quoted above, the Government mentioned the two rail lines cited by the minister as part of the projects for which the EuroBond will be utilised. So, we cannot understand what the grouse of Mr. Amaechi is.

    “We view that statement based on false and misinformed premise strongly as a mere attempt to incite the people against the National Assembly. The Minister should therefore withdraw that statement. Furthermore, the National Assembly will take up the matter with the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.

    “As a former Speaker of a state House of Assembly, we believe that a minister like Amaechi should always check his facts and refrain from making unguarded and inciting remarks against the legislature.

    “What Nigeria needs at this point is for all arms of government to work together and create the synergy necessary to take Nigeria out of the present economic crisis we have found ourselves.

    Comments designed to infuriate one arm of government or incite the people against another arm of the government will do no one any good and we do not expect such statements from a Minister in the present government.”

  • Osinbajo forwards Onnoghen’s name to senate for confirmation as CJN

    Osinbajo forwards Onnoghen’s name to senate for confirmation as CJN

    Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Tuesday forwarded the name Justice Walter Onnoghen, to the Senate for confirmation as the CJN.

    According to a source in the presidency, Onnoghen’s nomination is to be forwarded to the Senate on Tuesday or Wednesday.

    Recall that Buhari had, on November 10, 2016, inaugurated Onnoghen as acting CJN following the retirement of Justice Mahmud Mohammed at the attainment of the mandatory 70-year retirement age.

    The National Judicial Council had earlier forwarded Onnoghen’s name to the President to be named the new CJN based on the recommendation of the Federal Judicial Service Commission.

    According to the law, the President is expected to forward the name of the nominee to the Senate for confirmation.

    Meanwhile, a close source to the office of the Senate President told TheNewsGuru.com, that the letter notifying the senate on Onnoghen’s appointment as CJN though expected is yet to be received by the office.

  • We wont hold emergency session over Buhari’s extended vacation – Senate

     

    The Senate has said it won’t hold emergency session because of President Muhammadu Buhari’s extended medical vacation in London.

    The Upper Chamber on Tuesday, confirmed receipt of this president’s letter and said it was in line with constitutional requirements.

    Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs Chairman, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi said: “There is no emergency for us to say we are suspending or recalling back. When we resume, all communications that come in will be taken. There’s no emergency here because he is constitutionally mandated to transmit a letter to us and he has done that.”

    Abdullahi added: “As you are aware, the Senate suspended plenary to carry out one of the most important duties, which is the interaction with the MDAs on the 2017 budget, and you will recall that we received before we suspended plenary, a letter from Mr. President which was dated 18th, January 2017 where he informed the distinguished senators that he was proceeding on his vacation for 10 days and this is to meet the constitutional provisions.

    “In the letter, he stated very clearly that the vice president would take charge of the running of the country. This is a normal thing and, of course, based on that timing, Nigerians were expecting the return of Mr. President.

    “Now, we are in receipt of the second letter from Mr. President where he is informing the Senate that he is extending his vacation and this arose because in the first letter he did inform us that he will use that to see his doctors.

    “In this second letter, he is informing the Senate that he is extending his vacation because in the cause of that routine medical check-up there were still some tests his doctors still want to run further and so because of that he is extending his stay.

    “This is a constitutional provision and let me say it is within his prerogative to do so and we are in receipt of that letter accordingly.

    “This is why we had to brief you so that we are now confirming that ‘yes we are in receipt of that letter formally’ and we know that many things have been going on but this is our formal and official pronouncement to Nigerians on this particular subject matter.”

    TheNewsGuru.com recalls that President Muhammadu Buhari who was initially expected to be away for 10 days, on Sunday sent a letter to the National Assembly, asking for an indefinite extension of his vacation.

     

  • Presidency applauds senate on non-career ambassadorial nominees’ screening

    The Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Sen. Ita Enang, has commended the Senate for its commitment to confirming non-career ambassadorial nominees.

    Enang, who gave the commendation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja, said that approval of the nominees would help to drive the country’s foreign policy.

    He said that the commencement of screening by the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs was an indication that the senate was committed to good governance.

    According to him, the screening of 23 nominees out of the 46 in one day showed clearly that the legislature was fully committed to moving the country forward.

    “I want to appreciate the President for the quality of the candidates he has chosen and presented as non-career ambassadors.

    “Also, the screening process by the committee has shown that they are dedicated and very thorough.

    “The questions that the people have been able to answer have also shown us the stuff they are made of and there is no doubt that they would represent Nigeria well.

    “I also want to appreciate the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and my staff because we did a lot of preparation to see this through.

    “The committee made up of very eminent Nigerians like former speaker and other eminent lawmakers really took on the nominees and they have been able to prove they were worthy of their nomination.

    “They also took time to take on all the nominees one-by-one, gave them the guidelines and template for handling the job before the screening.

    “This is one of the most thorough processes of screening I have witnessed over time,’’ he said.

    On concerns by some Nigerians that some of the nominees were over 60 years and may not be able to stand the rigours of the job, Enang said that none of them was too old to be an ambassador for a country.

    He said, “to be an ambassador for a country, you must have acquired a lot of experience either as a judge, a member of the legislative house, a commissioner or permanent secretary.

    “You must have held some post of great responsibility. That is what happens in diplomacy.’’

    He added that young Nigerians were equally given the opportunity to serve the country in other countries.

    Enang pointed out that the need for experience notwithstanding, there was room for young people to also grow.

    According to him, the current list contains names of some young people.

    “We have the political class, which are the non-career and the career ambassadorial nominees.

    “The career ambassadors are the younger ones that are within the career and even in the non-career list, some are between 37 years and 40 years old and there are others that are above 50 years.

    “So it is a good mix-up and none of them is too old to represent Nigeria in another country,’’ he said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the committee completed the screening of 23 non-career ambassadorial nominees out of 46 of them on Tuesday.

    The nominees who were screened are Goni Bura (Yobe), Yusuf Tuggar (Bauchi), Ahmed Ibeto (Niger), Kabiru Umar (Sokoto) and Baba Madugu (Bauchi).

    Others are Baba Jidda (Borno), Justice George Oguntade (Lagos), Garba Gajam (Zamfara), Bala Mairiga (Zamfara), Christopher Okere (Anambra), Etubon Asuquo (Cross River) and Nurudeen Mohammed (Kwara).

    The list also had Amin Dalhatu (Jigawa), Ahmed Bamali (Kaduna), Prof. Dandatti Abdulkadir (Kano), Justice Isa Dodo (Katsina), Prof. Mohammed Yisa (Kwara), Mrs Modupe Irele (Lagos) and Suzanne Folarin (Ogun).

    Maj. Gen. Ashimiyu Olaniyi (Oyo), Oriji Ngofa (Rivers), Jonah Odo (Ebonyi) and Eniola Ajayi (Ekiti) also made the list.

    President Muhammadu Buhari had on Jan. 12 re-transmitted nominees’ list to the senate for confirmation after it was first rejected.

    The screening would continue on Wednesday.

  • Power failure disrupts Senate ambassadorial screening

    The ongoing screening of the non-career ambassadorial nominees earlier sent by President Muhammadu Buhari for confirmation by the Senate has been disrupted by power failure.

    The screening, taking place at Room 324, of the New Senate Building is holding without power supply.

    The light went off at exactly 12:13 pm. The Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, which is conducting the exercise for the 46 nominees, had to continue with the screening in darkness when light failed to come on.

     

    Details later…

     

     

  • Senate boils over CG’s refusal to wear Customs uniform

     

    …says he should have been appointed Sole Administrator instead of CG

    The Senate Committee on Customs expressed its displeasure over the refusal of the Comptroller-General of Customs Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd) to wear official uniform since assuming duty in 2015.

    The senators said Ali should have been appointed a sole administrator rather than a CG saying that way, he can chose to wear casual clothes which he has been parading himself in since coming on board as the CG.

    “The incumbent Comptroller General of Customs, supposed to have been designated as Sole Administrator and not the Comptroller-General of Customs since he is not ready to wear uniform depicting the office and rank of that position”, the Committee asserted.

    The statement which was made on Thursday at the interactive session with Senate Committee on Custom and Excise Duties, Ministry of Finance and Central Bank of Nigeria also noted that operations of those agencies would be Amended.

    A member of the Committee, Senator Obinna Ogba‎ (PDP Ebonyi Central), believed that CG’s outfit would ‎demoralise the officers and men of the agency.

    “Mr. CG, this committee will like to know the reason why you are still in mufti close to two years after your appointment as the Comptroller General of Nigeria custom service”, he fired.

    Responding, Col. Ali said being a former military officer tradition and statute did not permit him to wear any other uniform again.

    His response infuriated another member of the Committee, Senator Dino Melaye (APC Kogi West) who reminded him, the Custom CG that a retired General of the Nigerian Army in person of Halidu Hananiya wore Federal Road Safety’s Uniform when appointed as Corp Marshall of the agency.

    Ali responded that Hananiya made a mistake, a situation that made Senator Ogba who angrily walked out of the session saying ” this is how you people keep deceiving Nigerians on wrong action and still defending it”.

    Ali was also tackled by the committee over the non-composition of custom board since 2015 when it was dissolved.

    Querrying operations of the Custom without its Management board in place, Committee Chairman, Senator Hope Uzodinma ‎(PDP Imo West) said it was illegal for the custom CG alone to be promoting and firing officers without the board in place and ordered immediate constitution of the board.

    “You claimed that the Minister of Finance is the one delaying the composition of the board, this committee will write a letter straight away to the Minister, Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Attorney General of Federation to put the board in place without any further delay.” he said.

    “We are releasing you to go and sew your uniform while we continue with officials of Ministry of Finance and Central Bank”, Uzodinma added.
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  • Senate will reject attempts to pad 2017 budget – Senator Na’Allah

    The Deputy Leader of the Senate, Senator Bala Na’Allah, on Tuesday, said the Senate will resist in all totality and firmness, any attempts by whoever to inflate the 2017 budget.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Na’Allah noted that the budget will be worked on in the exact format that it was received from the presidency.

    Senator Na’Allah said this when the Rector and officials of the Nigerian Aviation College of Technology, appeared before the Senate Committee on Aviation to defend the agency’s 2017 budget.

    Last year, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation, Hon. Abdulmumunin Jibrin accused the leadership of the House of padding the budget.

    Na’Allah said anything not captured in the original 2017 budget document submitted to the National Assembly should be resubmitted in the supplementary budget of the Federal Government.

    According to him, “We will not add anything that was not added in the original budget. If you want to increase the budgetary allocation, you have to send a supplementary budget. If we do that, you will accuse us of budget padding. We will not allow it.

    “We want to ensure that public money is spend judiciously. We want to be sure that whatever we are approving for anything is what will buy the same thing. We have looked at your budget. We will do everything possible to give you what you want.

    “We will also take out some money which we think you do not need. Since you are refleeting, you must tell us what your intentions are and what you intend to do with the old ones. Next week Thursday, we are going to the aviation college to see the state of the runway to see what is happening there.”

    TheNewsGuru.com recalls that Na’Allah was speaking against the backdrop of the controversies that trailed the 2016 budget where allegations and counter allegations about inflating the budget why both the executive and legislature marred the passage and implementation process.