NASS keeps mum over 2018 Budget passage

…Saraki announces joint panel to strengthen security, probe mace theft
…Reps: Buhari’s payment of $496m for military aircraft impeachable
Contrary to expectations that the 2018 Budget will be passed on Tuesday by the National Assembly, the Senate failed to discuss the appropriation bill as it was not listed on the order of proceeding for the day.

The Parliament had set April 24 for the passage of the N8.612trillion budget presented by President Muhammadu Buhari to a joint session of the Senate and the House of Representatives on November 7, 2017.

It was expected that the joint committees of the two houses on appropriation must have concluded the harmonisation and present at plenary for consideration and passage.

The Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, had on April 10 said the Committee on Appropriations should present its report for consideration and passage by the chamber last week but at the end of the week, the Senate Committee on Appropriations was still grappling with compilation and harmonisation of reports by the standing committees on the budgets of ministries, departments and agencies under their supervision.

But the Senate against expectation went into a closed session on Tuesday for over two hours after which Saraki addressed his colleagues.

Announcing the resolution at the closed door session, Saraki said that the National Assembly will be constituting a joint committee of the Senate and the House of Representatives to investigate last Wednesday’s invasion of the red chamber by sponsored thugs.

The Committee will also be tasked with coming up with recommendations to strengthen security at the National Assembly to ensure that such security breaches do not recur in both the Senate and the House.

Saraki, who was away in the United States when the Senate chamber was invaded, admitted loopholes in the security of the National Assembly.

He said, “We have also directed our security agencies, head of services and the Inspector General of Police to look at how to strengthen the security of the National Assembly to ensure that this kind of security lapses never occur again.”

Saraki also commended the Chamber Staff of the National Assembly for their gallantry and courage during last Wednesday’s invasion of the Senate by sponsored thugs.

He said: “My Distinguished colleagues and I would like to thank the Chamber Staff for their gallantry courage during the invasion of the Senate Chamber on Wednesday, 18th April 2018.

“We want to thank you immensely, particularly two of your colleagues, Chuks and Sandra, who have been admitted due to the invasion — we are happy to see them recovering and we wish them a speedy recovery.

“We also want to thank everybody for the role that they played in defending the democracy in the country. We have also resolved to tighten the security of the National Assembly and we need the co-operation of all members of the public to please co-operate with us as we do this.”

After Saraki’s speech, two senators, Kabiru Marafa and Mao Ohambuwa came under Order 43 to raise different notices while the Senate president ruled that the motions should be discussed on Wednesday (today).

At exactly 2pm, the Senate leader, Senator Ahmed Lawan, moved that every other items on the order paper for the day should be suspended till the next parliamentary sitting and the motion was passed while plenary came to a close.

Meanwhile, members of the House of Representatives have expressed outrage and furious that President Muhammadu Buhari had approved the release of $496, 374, 470 million (N151, 394, 421, 335 billion) as part payments for the purchase of military aircraft from the United States without the endorsement of the National Assembly.

Furious members of the House made their grievances known after the Speaker of the House, Hon Yakubu Dogara had read the president’s letter informing the House of the expenditure made by the Presidency in respect of the Super Tucano aircraft purchase agreement it had with the US government.

He pleaded with the House to accommodate the over $496 million expenditure as supplementary input to the 2018 appropriation bill.

The lawmakers were angry that the Buhari could have approved such a huge expenditure in breach of the 1999 Constitution which stipulates how the nation’s resources can be expended through appropriation passed by the National Assembly.

Buhari in his letter dated April 13, drew the attention of the House to the ongoing security emergencies in the country and the decision of the National Economic Council on December 14, 2017, authorising the release and utilisation of $1 billion from the Excess Crude Account to address the situation.

He said that subsequent upon this approval, his administration is preparing a comprehensive schedule of all the requirements for each of the security services for presentation to the National Assembly for consideration.

“It would be recalled that, for a number of years, Nigeria had been in discussions with the US government for the purchase of Super Tucano aircraft under a direct government-to-government arrangement.

“Recently, approval was finally granted by the US government, but with a deadline within which part payment must be made otherwise the contract would lapse.

“In the expectation that the National Assembly would have no objection to the purchase of this highly specialised aircraft, which is critical to national security, l granted anticipatory approval for the release of $496, 374, 470. 00. This was paid directly to the treasury of the US government.

“I am therefore writing, seeking approval of this House for the sum of N151, 394, 421, 335 billion to be included in the 2018 appropriation bill.

“The balance of the requirements for critical operational equipment is still being collated from the different security services and will be presented in the form of a supplementary appropriation bill, in due course.

“The Minister of Defence and other appropriate officers will be available to provide further details, as may be required,” the President concluded.

Dogara had barely finished reading Buhari’s letter before Hon Kingsley Chinda (PDP, Rivers) raised a point of order, saying that the constitution does not give room for anticipatory approval of the budget.

He declared that “the decision of the president is an impeachable offence.”

Hon Sunday Karimi (PDP, Kogi) reacting to the letter, expressed concern that the deposit paid by Nigeria on the aircraft was done without the approval of the National Assembly considering the fact that the aircraft would be delivered in 2020.

Another member of the House, Hon. Loveth Idisi (PDP, Delta) declared that what has happened is wrong, adding that “based on precedence been set, if the constitution says the process is wrong then it is wrong. If it says it is an impeachable offence then let the process begain.”

Hon Ali Madaki (APC, Kano) in his comments, urged the House to follow the constitution without fear or favour, insisting that “what the Presidency did was impeachable.”

But two other lawmakers, Hon Pat Asadu (PDP, Enugu) and Hon Samson Okwu (PDP, Benue) held different opinions, asking the House to write the president seeking for the return of the money already paid to the US into the Nigerian treasury pending the approval of the National Assembly.

According to them, “if the president declines, the House can commence the impeachment process.”

Hon Shehu Garba (PDP, Kaduna) in adding his voice to calls for abiding with the constitution, added that the House should demand for an explanation of the N4 billion spent daily on fuel subsidy without the approval of the National Assembly.

In his ruling, Dogara said that “an appropriation can only be done through a bill and the House would want to operate within the ambit of the the rules.”

He thereafter, ruled that the president’s request as contained in the letter would be debated on another legislative day.