SHOCKING:”FG SQUANDERED N4.17TN ILLEGALLY IN 9 YEARS” – REPS

 

According to a shocking report released by the House Committee on Public Accounts (PAC), the Federal Government ‘illegally’ spent over N4 trillion from 2004 to 2012 without the approval of the National Assembly.

The report not only revealed a gross misuse of the Service-wide Vote, which is provided annually to cover 

emergencies that crop up during the year, but also alleged that the Obasanjo government squandered N250 million for the upkeep of the family of former Liberian President Charles Taylor, who sought asylum in the country between 2004 and 2006

At a briefing of journalists during the weekend, the Chairman of PAC, Adeola Olamilekan, termed the expenditure incurred as an ‘abuse’ of the Service-wide Vote, explaining that PAC’s investigation revealed that the vote was converted to a recurrent fund by the government, instead of an infrastructure vote.

After cross examination of the Auditor-General’s reports on the accounts of MDAs, the report indicated the following:

1.       An expenditure of N162m from the 2011 Service-wide Vote was tagged “Closing Accounts” incurred by both the Budget and Accountant General’s Office of the Federation.

2.       N1.2bn was spent on the overseas trips of government officials to seek medical attention.

3.       N250m was used for the upkeep of former Liberian President, Mr. Charles Taylor when he sought asylum in the country between 2004 and 2006.

4.       A pattern of increases in releases from the SWV from 2007 to 2012 was also noticed, N1.7tn being the highest spending from 2010 to 2012.

5.       Two security challenges (Niger Delta militancy and the Boko Haram insurgency) were the only “real emergency spending” from the vote that was justified, which cost the government N144.4bn between 2009 & 2012.

Including other “unexplained” expenses incurred, the government spent over N4.17tn contrary to the N1.8tn approved by the National Assembly, implying that an extra-budgetary expenditure of N2.2tn was incurred in the process.

“Such extra-budgetary expenditures constitute a breach of Section 81 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and an illegality, Olamilekan explained.”

He added, “These releases were mainly used to finance recurrent expenses not targeted at critical and strategic sectors of the economy and the releases were random and did not follow any clear pattern.”

The Committee urged the House of Reps to scrap the vote if it was poorly implemented, and that the extra-budgetary expenditure during the period “should be investigated and those found culpable should be sanctioned.”

Abaribe: Senate in Full Support of National Confab

The Senate, yesterday, said it was in full support of the decision of President Goodluck Jonathan to convoke a national conference, saying the development was in line with earlier call of its president, David Mark, to that effect.

The upper legislative chamber said it was aware that the national conference, as being designed by President Jonathan, would be limited to the scope where the sovereignty of Nigeria was not called to question.

Chairman, Senate Committee on Information, Media and Public Affairs, Enyinnaya Abaribe, who stated the position of the Senate in a press statement, insisted: “It is, therefore, given that the proposed conference is in tandem with the time tested stand of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and as enunciated by the President of the Senate, Senator David A. B Mark in his address at the last Nigerian Bar Association Conference in Calabar and to senators penultimate week.

“The Senate has always canvassed the position that it will always welcome a conference where all ethnic nationalities would converge to discuss all critical issues and proffer the very best way that will enhance national unity. The Senate red-line and for which was aptly factored in the President’s broadcast is the conferment of a sovereign status to the conference.

“The Senate is happy that it is a conference that will hold with due respect to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended. It has always been Senate’s considered stand that there cannot be two sovereigns at a time.”

It said it was “gratified with the development and see it as an opportunity to address all of Nigeria’s structural problems that keeps agitating the mind of her ethnic nationalities,” adding, “the Senate is confident that the conference’s final outcome would go a long way to cement Nigeria’s unity.”

Amaechi Speaks: Our Private Jet Costs N7bn, Not N9bn

Rivers State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, on Saturday said contrary to reports, the state government's private jet costs $45m (N7.1bn) and not $57 (N9bn).

The governor said this through his Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, in an interview with our correspondent in Port Harcourt.

Amaechi described the allegations that he inflated the cost of the jet by $10m as unfounded and a figment of the imagination of those spreading such false information.

According to him, the allegations were targeted at distracting the state government from its responsibility of developing the state.

"The state government has never announced that the aircraft was purchased for $57m. That statement did not come from us. The aircraft was bought for US$45m. We see all these as a distraction," Amaechi said.

Meanwhile, two aides to the Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, and the Caretaker Committee Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Mr. Chikodi Dike, were on Saturday barred by a team of policemen from entering the council secretariat.

The two aides were the Chief of Staff, Rivers State Government House, Mr. Tony Okocha and the Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Emmanuel Chinda.

 The incident, which occurred around 2.30pm, came barely 24 hours after a team of policemen had sealed off the council secretariat allegedly on the orders of the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mbu Joseph Mbu.

Workers of the council and visitors on the premises were also ordered out of the secretariat by the policemen on Friday before sealing off the place.

Speaking with newsmen outside the premises of the council, Okocha described the development as a coup against the people of Obio/Akpor and the people of the state in general.

Dike had earlier gone to the secretariat for the monthly environmental sanitation, but was warned by the fierce-looking policemen that had mounted guard at the gate of the council secretariat for two days to stay away.

Okocha, who was peeved by the development, went to the council secretariat in company with Dike and Chinda.

However, the policemen stood their ground when the Chief of Staff and other government officials arrived the secretariat, saying they were acting on the order of the Divisional Police Officer of Rumuokoro Police Station.

Okocha said, "You can see that the whole place is blocked with police vehicles and policemen. This morning, the police PPRO had said no such thing existed. That is why I came to see things for myself."

"I was trying to find out the man who gave the instruction: the policeman I saw said it was the DPO who gave the instruction and he said the DPO is not around. I said okay; give me the name of the next person around.

"What I suspect is a coup in a democratic setting; a coup against Obio/Akpor local government and a coup against Rivers State. We know their plan is to provoke the people of Rivers so that there would be some kind of mayhem for them to declare a state of emergency."

He told newsmen that the state police boss had told him that the order to seal off the council secretariat was from the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar.

He described the action of the police as anti-government, saying, "I don't know whose script they are really acting out. I am shocked."

The PPRO, Mr. Ben Ugwuegbulam, had earlier said policemen were sent to the secretariat following a tip-off that there was a plot to attack the council secretariat.

CBN Stops Polymer Production; Reverts To Paper Note

 
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is to stop the printing of lower denominations of the naira in polymer because it fades, according to the Deputy Governor, Operations, Mr Tunde Lemo.

Lemo made the plan known in an interview on Sunday at the ongoing Spring Meeting of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in Washington DC, the USA.

“By the middle of the year, we will start producing the lower denomination notes in paper not in polymer. My plea is that Nigerians should be patient with us. It wasn’t the fault of the CBN, it is just because we have to go back to the drawing board.

“We will correct that in the course of the year. Polymer certainly will  be phased out. In fact, no new note is being printed in polymer now,’’ he said.

Lemo said the apex bank had, while introducing polymer notes, conducted endurance test, which showed that it lasted longer than paper substrate.

“So, part of the project cure is to move away from polymer substrate to paper. Unfortunately, we had a push back because of the issues around the N5,000 note and coins.

“The entire programme was put in abeyance, otherwise by now, we would have stopped producing polymer,’’ he added.

He said CBN had awarded contract for the printing of the higher denomination notes to a foreign company because of the capacity issue around the mint.  According to him, the apex bank will, from June, take delivery of the new notes.

Commenting on the handling of the naira,  Lemo said that it was unfortunate that the campaign against its mishandling was not successful.

He, however, said that it was still a criminal act to abuse naira notes. “Unfortunately, CBN is not a law enforcement agency; we left that in the hands of the law enforcement institutions.

“ I still go to parties and see people spraying money, stepping on money, I see touts distributing mints that should go to customers,’’ Lemo said.

He said the apex bank had talked to the police to reduce the abuse of the naira, adding that the bank had no right to arrest people who sold naira notes on the street.

 (Written By Kamil Sodiq)

‘Confusion Break Bone’

“Deadi bodi geeti accident yeeeeepaaaaaaaa

Confusion break bone, yeeppaaaaaaaaaaaa

Na double wahala for deadi bodi and the owner of deadi body….”

If I can recall clearly, this particular verse came from a song titled C.B.B. (Confusion Break Bone) by the late Afrobeat Legend, Fela Anikulapo Kuti. Fela, a.k.a. Baba 70, died quite a long time ago but his songs remain alive. His views, songs and ideas were always powered by rational and innovative ideologies which have made him immortal.

When I was young, I hardly took my time to digest what Fela was trying to pass across. But, as time passed, his lyrics became a part of me. If you take your time to review every one of his songs, you will begin to understand that what he was singing and saying were virtually the same thing happening in the present, but now at its apex (advanced corruption et al.).

Nigeria, my country, your country and our country, remains ours so long as ‘we’, her citizens, still pledge that allegiance to her. To be candid, the main problem or one of the problems of this country is not farfetched!. We are not patriotic to this nation and this is quite obvious.  Being patriotic means to show love to one’s country, irrespective of your position, state, background, religion and so on. The main question is, are we patriotic?

Incessant corruption in the country has relegated us to the level of hopelessness; where you see an ant size of the country’s population is terrorizing their fellow country people; and our president seems to be suffering from selective amnesia just to gloss over this virus (corruption). However, it is sheer ignorance to admit the country won’t reach the summit of prosperity as believed by the bad eggs. 

If I must tell you, for us to survive, the act of patriotism must be at a very high level. Some years back, if I can recall clearly, when a newly elected councillor (name withheld) assumed office, he was full of strength and ready to work as he painted us all with copious of promises to quench our thirst for a fresh wind of change. As I was congratulating him, someone jumped in and shouted – our boy don flog them! Na who dem bi? Oga mi, chop your own sharp sharp… you know as e dey go.

Above is an anecdote that I witnessed some years back and this is just the real picture of events anytime we have newly elected/appointed public officials in Nigeria. They get ill-advised and encouraged to steal billions just to polish their friends and relatives. At this point in Nigeria, we have had a complete failure of leadership under President Goodluck Jonathan who has made corruption easy, profitable, appealing, making the act so hard to ignore. 

This country has a great record of corruption recurring at all time, which I can’t picture coming to an end cheaply. I mean, I have never witnessed a day without hearing from the local media or reading the pages of newspapers about some people/cadre who have lined their pockets with tax payers’ money. Sincerely, this is unpatriotic!

On March 5, 2013, a particular historical event happened. This day marked the day that saw ‘my friend’, Commandant and President Hugo Rafael Chavez Friaz of Venezuela pass on at the age of 58. He had a tough battle with cancer but his sickness overpowered him after his third medical treatment trip to Cuba and died shortly after his return to Caracas. When I told my mum about Chavez’s death, her reply was ‘wetin concern you?’. And I responded, ‘okunrin ye gbiyanju fun ilu e gan fa’ (meaning ‘that man, Chavez, tried for his country a lot’).

However, I found it so difficult to quantify the level of patriotism portrayed by Chavez. He brought about a veritable revolution that changed Venezuela and Venezuelans. Under my late friend, (although I have never met him before), quality of life improved and the poverty rate fell from 48.6% in 2002 to 29.5% in 2011 according to the UN Economic Commissioner for Latin America. Sad enough, our leaders over here are busy stacking up their account with tax payers’ money and they keep promising us the war on corruption is much on. Truly, confusion don break our bone.

When Hugo Chavez departed this life, thousands of Venezuelans gathered outside Caracas military hospital and they all chanted emphatically, “we’re all Chavez’’!!!. That day, I heard on a BBC Radio interview where a Venezuelan respondent said, “Chavez taught us nothing but how to love our country…. Chavez lives on…”

Back home, here in Nigeria, the reverse is the case. Our leaders hardly show that passion needed to pilot the country to the summit. Recently, our Oga At The Top, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan granted his former boss, DSP Alameiyeseigha,  the ‘popular thief’ that masqueraded himself to evade arrest in London, state pardon. What does his action truly imply?. To give him another chance to steal in future?. God knows. At least, Alameiyeseigha painted the country in an aesthetic way, by irony. So, he must be granted state pardon.

Under the leadership of General Yakubu Gowon (although I wasn’t  born then), he was reported to have said in his time as Nigeria’s military president, that money is not his problem but ‘how to spend it’; and I can say categorically that Nigeria still has a large revenue that General Gowon once boasted of. The bulk of the country’s petro-dollar money has been stolen largely by the political class. The more money we have, the more complex our problems become. No employment, security ‘brouhaha’ is still much there and so on. Yet our leaders claim the root of our problems is laziness. Shey na like that?

It is sheer ignorance to admit that Nigeria is not buoyant enough to protect the lives and properties of her subjects, if I must articulate. The more our president assures us of our safety, the more Boko Haram proves him wrong by killing more innocent Nigerians. No qualms, so long as our politicians are not getting killed by the so called ‘’faceless’’ Boko Haram insurgents who have got the face to kill innocent Nigerians. This is frustrating!

When you criticize the government for acting under par, the next label you get is – these opposition parties are at it again. It seems they do not understand the clear difference between critics and opposition parties. Critics judge or appraise the government in a situation where they fail or succeed; and nothing else.

Looking at the event that catapulted the coming of the French revolution of 1789-1799, you would see it was total hardship on the side of the commoners. The French stood firmly with their Tennis Court Oath and this marked the beginning of their fight against oppression. The people were against the monarchy and not the monarch. That is, the people were apparently not against Louis XVI, the then ruler of France, but his rule. This is also a similar case in my opinion. 

I’m not against President Goodluck Jonathan; just his style of administration that has declared open the flood gate for corruption to thrive in the country without any solution in sight.

Apparently, our leaders must be careful and wake up to their challenges to move the country back to her respectable position in Africa and the World at large. If Mr. President dares to allow a return or replica of the anti fuel subsidy protest, then CONFUSION GO BREAK BONE PATAPATA. Take a page from the book of  Louis XVI of France.