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Senate Threatens 100 Agencies With Zero Budget Allocations …Kicks Against CBN’s New Withdrawal Policy
The 2023 budgetary allocations of about 100 agencies of the Federal Government are under serious threat over the failure of the agencies to honour the Senate invitations to clear queries issued them by the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation.
The Senate also kicked against plan by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to limit cash withdrawal by any individual to N100,000 and Corporate bodies to N500,000 per week from January 9, 2023.
The Senate at its plenary, took the decision to bring the 2023 statutory allocations of the said agencies to zero following complaints by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Account, Senator Matthew Urhoghide.
Urhoghide, coming through Orders 42 and 95 of the Senate Standing Rules, rose to complain on alleged recalcitrance of heads of the affected agencies to honour invitations sent to them by his committee for required appearance before it on queries raised against them by the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation .
He said, “Mr President, heads of agencies totalling about 100, indicted in various audit reports forwarded to the Public Account Committee by Office of the Auditor General of the Federation in line with provisions of sections 62, 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution, have repeatedly failed to appear before us.
“This to us is against the Constitution and policy of accountability and transparency of the Federal Government.
“I crave your indulgence that we invite through your order either by way of warrant of arrest or anything so that these agencies can come and we can complete our report and submit to this Senate”, he said.
The President of the Senate, Dr Ahmad Lawan, angered by the report, requested for the list of the affected agencies, read them out to all Senators and ordered that they should appear before the committee within one week or risk zero budget allocation in 2023 as far as capital expenditure component is concerned.
“Your point of order is sustained fully and completely, totally sustained, you are right on the dot to bring to the plenary your grievances.
“Reading this list at plenary gives the agencies opportunity to now know if they were not aware before for those that may claim ignorance and I am taking the opportunity here to advise that in the next one week if the name of any agency is here that agency should reach the Committee on Public Account of the Senate to sort out when the agency would appear before the committee.
“If there is no communication whatsoever and no cogent and verifiable reason is given, we will slash the budget of the agencies as far as capital component is concerned.
“Heads of the affected agencies must take this very seriously because any serving public officer must be ready to render accounts on public funds and if not ready to do so, should quit, since nobody should be above the law”, he said.
Some of the affected agencies include the State House, Presidential Fleet, Ministry of Finance, the Nigeria Army, the Navy, Air Force, the Nigerian Police Force and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), among others.
Meanwhile, complaint against CBN’s planned N100, 000 withdrawal per person per week came through a motion by Senator Philip Tanimu Aduda but was aborted by the Senate President.
Aduda in the attempted motion, sought for debate from all senators on the planned policy before the Senate President intercepted him that it was too early to debate the policy.
The Senate President said, “As good as the cashless policy may be, it shouldn’t be jumped at, at once.
“The way CBN is going about the policy, many Nigerians would be cut off and that won’t be accepted.
“Motion on the policy will be thoroughly debated in Senate on Tuesday next week after adequate information has been gotten on it.
“Before Tuesday next week, our Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions mandated to screen the re-appointed Deputy Governors of Central Bank, should focus its questions on the planned policy.
“The CBN Deputy Governors must be thoroughly drilled on the policy after which extensive debate on it will be made by Senators on Tuesday, next week”.
By: NnekaAmaechi-Nnadi, Abuja
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I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
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RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
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Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.