Senate okays Buhari’s $22.798bn loan request amidst controversy

.NASS will take full responsibility, won’t allow diversion of funds – Lawan

.PDP berates APC Senators for approving loan, accuses Presidency cabal of racket running                                      

The Senate on Thursday approved a $22.798bn loan request of President Muhamnadu Buhari amidst controversies as senators had to go into a fifteen minutes executive session to avert an already degenerating debate.

It took the intervention of the Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi and Gabriel Suswam to rally the support of other senators to canvass for a closed door session to douse tension created by heated arguments between the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan and Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe.

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This was as Lawan assured Nigerians that the National Assembly will take full responsibility for the application of the loan request to various projects domiciled with Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government.

The unanimous approval came sequel to the adoption of the recommendations of the Committee on Local and Foreign Debts which was considered during plenary.

The decision to adopt the committee’s recommendations was reached during a closed session which lasted 40 minutes to deliberate on the projects for which the loan is being sought.

Moments before the closed session, some lawmakers objected to the consideration of the committee’s report after it was presented by the Chairman, Senator Clifford Ordia (PDP – Edo Central).

Senator Adamu Aliero (APC – Kebbi Central), posited that members of the upper chamber be availed the opportunity of studying the report for consideration ahead of Tuesday next week.

Senator Bassey Albert Akpan (PDP – Akwa-Ibom North East) also shared the suggestion put forward by Aliero.

The Senate President, however, attempted to sway his colleagues, explaining that it is the Senate’s prerogative to discuss the report first before it is dissected by members of the public.

Other lawmakers such as Senators Gabriel Suswam (PDP – Benue North East); and Olamilekan Adeola (APC – Lagos West) insisted that the report be considered immediately on the floor.

Midway through consideration of the report, Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe, in an attempt to register his objection to the adoption of the Committee’s recommendation came under order 43 of the Senate Standing rules.

The Senate President asked Abaribe to read the provisions of the order.

Senator Abaribe, who read the order in part, was further asked by the Senate President to read it in full.

The order on Personal Explanation reads: “By the indulgence of the Senate and the leave of the President of the Senate, a Senator may make a Personal Explanation although there be no question before the Senate; but no controversial matter may be brought forward nor may debate arise upon the Explanation.

“The terms of the proposed statement shall be submitted in detail to the President of the Senate when his leave to make it is sought.”

On the basis of the order, Abaribe was overruled by Senator Lawan for his failure to comply with the provisions of the standing order which requires that any matter to be brought to the floor must first be discussed with, or submitted in writing to the Senate President.

Rising under order 11, Abaribe again expressed his frustration citing breach of privilege.

The lawmaker’s insistence met another brick wall as the Senate President took up the lawmaker for attempting to polarize consideration of the report along party lines.

Lawan, at this point, prevailed on lawmakers to put the interest of the nation ahead of partisanship in the interest of Nigerians.

Lawmakers such as the Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi and Gabriel Suswam, who instantly threw their weights in support of the Senate President, suggested that consideration of the projects for which the loan is being sought by President Buhari be looked into at a closed session.

The Senate, thereafter, held a closed session, after which President Buhari’s loan request was unanimously approved.

Sectors to benefit from projects captured are: Transport sector – the Lagos-Kano Railway Modernization Project; Ibadan-Kano Segment Double Track to cost $5,530,000,000; Railway Modernization Coastal Railway Project (Calabar-Port Harcourt-Onne Deep Sea Port Segment) to cost $3,474,000,000.

For the Federal Capital Territory, projects captured are: Greater Abuja Water Project to cost $381,095,037; and Abuja Mass Rail Project at $1,252,293,005.

Development of Nigeria’s mining industry project is pegged at $150,000,000; Nigerian Television Authority Digitalization Project to cost $500,000,000; East- West Road Project under the Niger Delta Affairs Ministry, $800,000,000; Education Sector Reform Programme renamed Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) at $500,000,000.

Other projects include: National Information and Communication Technology Infrastructural Backbone by Galaxy Backbone (Phase II), $328,108,731; Agricultural Transformation Project II (ATASP), $200,000,000; Staple Crops Processing Zone Support Projects (SCPZs), $500,000,000.

Projects under Water Resources Ministry are: Lake Chad Basin Commission, $13,000,000; Integrated Programme for Development and Adaptation to Climate Change in the Niger Basin, $6,000,000; North East Nigeria Integrated Social Protection, Basic Health, Education, Nutrition Services and Livelihood, $100,000,000; and Rural Water Supply and Sanitization, $150,000,000.

In the Ministry of Health, the Regional Surveillance System Enhancement Project in West Africa will cost $90,000,000.

Projects under the Power Sector are: the Nigeria Electricity Transmission and Access, $364,000,000; Power Transmission Project, $200,000,000; TCN overall Transmission System Enhancement Project, $200,000,000; Vocational Training in the Power Sector, 50,000,000; and Mambilla Hydro Electricity Power Project, $4,800,000,000.

The Social Inclusion and Welfare Advancement Project under the Ministry of Humanitarian, Disaster Management and Social Development is budgeted to cost $500,000,000; Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of infrastructure, livelihood, food security and economic recovery, $200,000,000; and North East Nigeria Integrated Social Protection, Basic Health, Education, Nutrition Services and Livelihood Restoration Project, $100,000,000.

The Senate President, while expressing optimism that the loan will turn around the economic fortunes of the nation, said its strict application to relevant projects will be supervised by Committees of the National Assembly.

“Let me emphasis here that we are going to follow very strictly how these funds are applied by the executive arm of government.

“Our Committees must be prepared to ensure that no single dollar or cent is spent on any other thing outside of what has been indicated here.

“We pray that this loan will turn around the economy of Nigeria. It is our belief that this loan will definitely have some positive influence on the Gross Domestic Growth (GDP) of this country, and therefore, we want to assure Nigerians that as a Chamber of the National Assembly, we will be responsible and ensure that no funds approved here are utilized for something else or used in uneconomic or imprudent manner.

“This is our responsibility and we will ensure we do that”, the Senate President assured.

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has berated All Progressives Congress (APC) senators for approving President Buhari’s request for a fresh $22.797 billion loan, which it said had been rejected by Nigerians across the board.

The party said in approving more financial burden on the nation, the APC senators have further shown that their party does not have the interest of Nigerians at heart, but is only out to repress and plunge our citizens into more hardship just for their selfish gains.

The PDP said it is distressing that the APC senators approved the loan, even when the Buhari Presidency have not justified the request; a situation that validates apprehensions that the APC senators have become rubber stamp legislators.

“The fact that the $22.7 billion loan request brimmed with unexplained, obscure, over-bloated and questionable subheads, such as the scandalous $500 million dollars (N180 billion) smuggled in under the guise of upgrading the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), shows that the APC and a cabal in the Presidency are in a huge financial racket, for which they are ready to plunge Nigerians into more suffering.

“In approving the loan, even after it was clear that Nigerians are averse to it, the APC senators have confirmed that they are in league with other APC leaders to fleece our nation and bring more hardship to Nigerians.

“The party notes as disheartening that under the Buhari Presidency our foreign debt has continued to accumulate with nothing to show other than excruciating unemployment rate, decayed infrastructure, a worsening governance system, escalated insecurity and unprecedented poverty”, said the party in a statement by spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan.

The party however, commended the PDP senators for standing with Nigerians in fearlessly rejecting the loan as it will bring more hardship and further mortgage the future of the nation.