Politics
Senate In Stormy Session Over Buhari’s N23.7trn ‘Ways And Means’
The Senate was in disarray for several hours, on Wednesday, over how to restructure the payment of N23.7 trillion “Ways and Means” secured from the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, in the last 10 years.
President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan, forced the lawmakers to go into a closed-door session to stop the chaos from degenerating into a brawl.
“Ways and Means” are loans or advances by the CBN to the Federal Government to enable it to cater for short-term or emergency finance to fund delayed government expected cash receipt of fiscal deficits.
Trouble started when Chairman of Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Olamilekan Adeola (APC, Lagos West), came up with a report on Ways and Means 2022 as requested by President Muhammadu Buhari, last week.
Soon after Adeola’s presentation, Senator Apiafi (PDP, Rivers West), raised a point of order, with very strong argument that President Buhari’s request was unconstitutional and what the Senate was about to do by considering the request was unknown to Nigerian law.
Tension engulfed the Senate when the Senate President, Lawan, ruled her out of order on the grounds that the report should be presented and read by the committee chairman for lawmakers to contribute to the debate.
President Buhari had last week written to the Senate, requesting the approval of restructuring of N23.7 trillion Ways and Means advances given to the Federal Government by the CBN.
The President in a letter read by Senate President during the Plenary session last Wednesday, explained that the ways and means balances as of December 19, 2022, were N23.7 trillion.
President Buhari further stated in the letter that he had approved the securitisation of the Ways and Means balances along the following terms: Amount N23 .7 trillion; Tenure 40 years; Moratorium on principal repayment, three years; and Pricing interest rate nine percent.
The Senate had in line with parliamentary procedure, given the request expeditious consideration by passing it for second reading and mandating its committee on Finance to work on it.
Lawan’s ruling annoyed Senator Apiafi and some senators, thereby leading to a charged atmosphere in the chamber.
At this point, Senator George Sekibo (PDP, Rivers East) raised a point of order, calling on Lawan to step down consideration of the report until lawmakers get more details on what the funds were used for.
In a strong move to stop approval of the report without scrutiny, Senator Sekibo rose through constitutional orders by citing Sections 80, 83, Section113(1) of the 1999 Constitution and Section 38 of the CBN Act to kick against the request.
Sekibo said: “We came into this chamber today and were given the report on N23.7trillion, which has been spent in the past 10 years. Whether it is 10 years or five years, whatever it is, the issue is that such payment, when the loans are taken, the Senate should be informed, we should be abreast with the information that such money is going to be taken because it is being taken on behalf of the people of Nigeria and we are entrusted with the power to make laws.
“According to the constitution, we can appropriate. They brought this up without details for us to approve.
“Section 80 of the 1999 constitution as amended provides that all revenues or other monies raised or received by the federation, not being revenue and other monies payable under this constitution or any Act of the National Assembly into any other public fund of the federation established for a particular purpose, shall be paid into and form one consolidated revenue fund of the Federation.
“No money shall be withdrawn from the consolidated revenue fund of the Federation except to meet expenditure that is charged upon the fund or where the issue of those monies has been authorised by an appropriation act, supplementary act or an act passed in pursuance of Section 81 of the constitution”.
“No money shall be withdrawn from any account other than the consolidated revenue fund of the Federation unless the issue of those monies has been authorised by the Act of the National Assembly.
“Section 80 (4) no money shall be withdrawn from the consolidated revenue fund or any other fund of the Federation except by the approval of the National Assembly, except in the manner prescribed by the National Assembly
“Section 83 the National Assembly may make provision for the establishment of Federation fund for.the Federation and for authorising the President if satisfying that there had arisen an urgent unforeseen expenditure to make advances to meet the needs.
“Section 38 of the CBN Act states ‘any money collected by the federal government as loan or emergency fund in form of Ways and Means Advances must be refunded before collection of another one.’
“Mr President, the relevant laws quoted clearly show that the N22.7triillion Ways and Means Advances already spent by Federal Government without informing the National Assembly was wrong and it will be unfair as representatives of Nigerians to approve this request.”
The Senate, thereafter, went into a closed-door session for one and half hours and the request was stepped down at the end of the day for lack of details.
The former two-term governor went down memory lane to recall how they founded the APC but were used and dumped.
In his words, “…those calling on us to join APC, we have agreed to join the APC but on clear agreement that protects and respects the interest of my party, NNPP and my political movement, Kwankwasiyya. No state where you go that you don’t have NNPP and Kwankwasiyya. We have gubernatorial candidates, senatorial candidates and others.
“We are ready to join APC under strong conditions and promises. We will not allow anyone to use us and later dump us.
“We were among the founding fathers of the APC and endured significant persecution from various security agencies while challenging the previous administration.
“Yet when the party assumed power, we received no recognition or appreciation for our sacrifices, simply because we didn’t originate from their original faction.
“We are not in a hurry to leave the NNPP; we are enjoying and have peace of mind. But if some want a political alliance that would not disappoint us like in the past, we are open to an alliance. Even if it is the PDP that realised their mistakes, let’s enter an agreement that will be made public,” Sen. Kwankwaso stated.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has dismissed long-standing claims that he once sought to extend his tenure in office, insisting he never pursued a third term.
Speaking at the Democracy Dialogue organised by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation in Accra, Ghana, Chief Obasanjo said there is no Nigerian, living or dead, who can truthfully claim he solicited support for a third term agenda.
“I’m not a fool. If I wanted a third term, I know how to go about it. And there is no Nigerian, dead or alive, that would say I called him and told him I wanted a third term,” the former president declared.
Chief Obasanjo argued that he had proven his ability to secure difficult national goals, citing Nigeria’s debt relief during his administration as a much greater challenge than any third term ambition.
“I keep telling them that if I could get debt relief, which was more difficult than getting a third term, then if I wanted a third term, I would have got it too,” he said.
He further cautioned against leaders who overstay in power, stressing that the belief in one’s indispensability is a “sin against God.”
On his part, former President Goodluck Jonathan said any leader who failed to perform would be voted out of office if proper elections were conducted.
Describing electoral manipulation as one of the biggest threats to democracy in Africa, he said unless stakeholders come together to rethink and reform democracy, it may collapse in Africa.
He added that leaders must commit to the kind of democracy that guarantees a great future for the children where their voices matter.
He said: “Democracy in Africa continent is going through a period of strain and risk collapse unless stakeholders came together to rethink and reform it. Electoral manipulation remains one of the biggest threats in Africa.
“We in Africa must begin to look at our democracy and rethink it in a way that works well for us and our people. One of the problems is our electoral system. People manipulate the process to remain in power by all means.
“If we had proper elections, a leader who fails to perform would be voted out. But in our case, people use the system to perpetuate themselves even when the people don’t want them.
“Our people want to enjoy their freedoms. They want their votes to count during elections. They want equitable representation and inclusivity. They want good education. Our people want security. They want access to good healthcare. They want jobs. They want dignity. When leaders fail to meet these basic needs, the people become disillusioned.”
The dialogue was also attended by the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Touray, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of the Sokoto diocese of Catholic Church among others who all stressed that democracy in Africa must go beyond elections to include accountability, service, and discipline.
The Rivers State House of Assembly yesterday resumed plenary session after a six-month state of emergency imposed on the state by President Bola Tinubu elapsed on Wednesday midnight.
President Bola Tinubu had lifted the emergency rule on September 17, with the Governor of the state, Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and members of the state assembly asked to resume duties on September 18.
The plenary was presided over by the Speaker of the House, Martins Amaewhule, at the conference hall located within the legislative quarters in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
The conference hall has served as the lawmakers’ temporary chamber since their official chamber at the assembly complex on Moscow Road was torched and later pulled down by the state government.
The outgone sole administrator of the state, Ibok-Ete Ibas, could not complete the reconstruction of the assembly complex as promised.
Recall that on March 18, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers following the prolonged political standoff between Fubara and members of the House of Assembly loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
He subsequently suspended the governor, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and lawmakers for six months and installed a sole administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd.), to manage the state’s affairs.
The decision sparked widespread controversy, with critics accusing the president of breaching the Constitution.
However, others hailed the move as a necessary and pragmatic step.
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