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Senate Summons Sanusi Over Comments On NASS

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The Nigerian Senate has summoned the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Sanusi Lamido Sanusi along with the Minister of Finance to appear before four of its committees over the CBN Governor’s claim that federal lawmakers are taking 25 per cent of the government’s recurrent expenditure.

Sanusi, delivering a convocation lecture at Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State at the weekend, said: “If you look at the budget, the bulk of government spending is revenue; revenue expenditure. That is a big problem. 25 per cent of overhead of the federal government goes to the National Assembly.”

The decision was taken during a plenary session where 29 senators voted that the CBN governor must appear before its Banking and Finance committee and others for what was claimed to be a public misinformation when the CBN governor was said to have made public statements regarding the spending of the National Assembly.

Senators had on Monday described the CBN Governor’s claim as mischievous.

All the senators who spoke yesterday complained about the statements made by the CBN governor and the Minister of Finance, said it was wrong for a public official, especially one in the level of CBN governor to issue such kind of statement against the parliament.

Yesterday, House of Representatives Speaker, Dimeji Bankole said he hoped Sanusi had been misquoted because his comment, according to him, was off the mark.

Speaking at the University of Lagos Monday, Bankole said: “Nigeria’s budget is N4.3 trillion. The National Assembly got N100 billion. How has that translated to 25 per cent?

“I know that over four years ago, the budget of the CBN was over N200 billion. I’m praying that Sanusi has been misquoted. Some of us in politics went to school.”

Senate spokesman Ayogu Eze while addressing journalists yesterday said: “It is an unfounded allegation that 25 per cent of the recurrent overhead budget of the federation goes to the National Assembly. I find that rather very curious in the sense that even before going to the press, the respective newspapers should have pulled a copy of the amended approved budget for the year and do the calculation.

“This was not the case and some of the newspapers this morning (yesterday); some were giving the indication that the National Assembly has crippled the economy. That the National Assembly takes 25 per cent of the entire budget of the federation.

“I want to state categorically that it is not true. The total budget figure for the year 2010 as amended is N4, 427, 184, 596, 534. That is the entire budget of the federation. And the entire budget of the National Assembly, including the Senate, the House of Reps, the National Assembly Service Commission, our legislative aides and all the entire current and capital expenditure for the year 2010 is N158, 916, 167, 627.

“If you reduce this to mathematics, what we have is N4.427 trillion for the entire federation and what the National Assembly gets is N0.158 trillion, which is 3.5 percent of the entire budget of the federation. So, where did the Mathematics of the 25 per cent come from?”

Eze said: “I think that this is not only mischievous but calculated to tarnish the image and reputation of the National Assembly, and it is part of the orchestrated assault, verbal and sometimes physical, against the National Assembly by some misinformed people who do not wish the National Assembly well. Otherwise, I do not see how that kind of figure can be bandied about by the Governor of the Central Bank.

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Why Wike Is Playing God In Rivers -Asari Dokubo

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A former Niger Delta militant, Asari Dokubo, has claimed that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, is “playing god” in the current political crisis that has pitched him against the Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara.
Dokubo also chided President Bola Tinubu for, according to him, handing over “Rivers and Bayelsa” to the ex-governor.
“He is now playing god. It is dead on arrival, all those things that he is doing,” Dokubo said in a video that surfaced on X.com on Monday.
He added, “I advise my friend, President Bola Tinubu; what you are doing to all Ijaw, Ikwerre people in Rivers State (sic). You took Rivers state and gave it one man”
In April, Fubara revealed that the administration has raised the monthly Internally Generated Revenue of the state from N12 billion which he met upon assumption of office to N27 billion.
Dokubo described the development as commendable while alleging that the governor only had access to N6 billion when he assumed office.
“The governor had come out to say that the IGR for Rivers State is now N27bn up from N12bn. The governor is even being economical with the truth. When the governor came in, they were giving him a paltry sum of N6bn,” he said.
Meanwhile, in another twist to the ongoing crisis, Fubara on Monday said that he would set up a panel of inquiry to look into the affairs of governance in the state.
He disclosed this during the swearing-in and administration of the oath of office on Dagogo Iboroma, SAN, as the Attorney General of the state and Commissioner for Justice.
The governor criticized recent comments by the former Attorney-General of the State and Justice Commissioner, Prof. Zacchaeus Adangor, SAN, who resigned from his cabinet over a fortnight ago and urged the new Attorney-General to defend the state.
He stated, “It is not the one that while you were here… the only thing you do is to sabotage the government.
“Instead of you to close your mouth, you publicly claim that you’re a learned person to tell people that you’re the Chief Law Officer. Chief Law Officer, you were here and went to stand before a Magistrate Court.
“At that time you didn’t remember that you’re a Chief Law Officer going against the ethics of your job.”

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Investors, Tourists To Get Visa Within 48 Hours, FG Assures

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The Federal Executive Council chaired by President Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of a tripartite committee to streamline visa processes and acquisition for investors interested in investing in Nigeria.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, revealed this, yesterday, after the FEC meeting held at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
“Our visa processes are becoming cumbersome. The ease of doing business is also tied to our visa processes.
“Going forward, those investors, tourists would find it easy to acquire a visa within the next 48 hours,” Idris said.
The meeting which began on Monday was adjourned till Tuesday to allow for other “far-reaching” decisions, the information minister had told journalists.

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Panel To Probe Governance In Rivers Underway -Fubara …Swears In Iboroma As New Attorney-General

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Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has declared his readiness to set up a panel of inquiry to look into the affairs of governance in the state.
Fubara disclosed this during the swearing-in and administration of the oath of office on Dagogo Iboroma, SAN, as the new Attorney General of the state and Commissioner for Justice.
The governor criticised recent comments by the former Attorney-General of the State and Justice Commissioner, Prof. Zacchaeus Adangor, SAN, who resigned from his cabinet over a fortnight ago and urged the new Attorney-General to defend the state.
Fubara stated, “It is not the one that while you were here… the only thing you do is to sabotage the government.
“Instead of you to close your mouth, you publicly claim that you’re a learned person to tell people that you’re the Chief Law Officer. Chief Law Officer, you were here and went to stand before a Magistrate Court.
“At that time you didn’t remember that you’re a Chief Law Officer going against the ethics of your job.”
Addressing the new AG, the governor said, “You have a big task. As it is today in the local parlance, they say the jungle has matured. We will be setting a panel of inquiry to investigate the affair of governance.”
The governor further said there was a deliberate attempt to sabotage his administration, saying, “If we disagree, no matter how bad it is, it should be resolved.
“But it has become very clear that this disagreement there is no headway to it, and for many reasons, there is very visible evidence that there is sabotage, a deliberate attempt to sabotage this administration.
“Maybe where they are they are telling them nothing will happen, it is happening here live, we have our own legislators that are performing their duties according to the Constitution. So that record is threatened.”

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