2018 Budget: Nigerian's Real Enemies are in National Assembly

  

The National Assembly have once again betrayed the confidence of Nigerians as they continue to define themselves as the real enemies of Nigeria. 

The journey to discovery of the National Assembly as distractive agents stifling attempts at development of Nigeria began with the revelations of Senator Shehu Sani, a Senator Representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District in the current 8th Assembly. 

Senator Shehu Sani revealed that Senators earn #13.5 million monthly as running cost in addition to over #750,000 monthly consolidated salary and allowance for each member of the Senate. 

The stiring of the hornet nest  by Senator Shehu Sani's  revelations irked most Nigerians as many wondered and questioned the justificatory grounds for legislators to continually receive jumbo pay while the minimum wage of hungry Nigerians remains at #18,000 monthly. Painfully, while members of National Assembly receive jumbo pay,  a higher percentage of Nigerians are languishing in abject poverty and unemployment.

Worthy of note, it is the Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Commission that is the legal agency to fix salaries and allowances for every  Nigerians. While The Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Commission fix salaries and wages for the rest of Nigerians, the National Assembly seems to be increasingly emboldened in total appropriation of the resources of Nigerians to themselves in abuse of power and the relevant laws of Nigeria.  

The practice of appropriation of large chunk of Nigeria's income to the National Assembly is not new. Shehu Sani's revelations is said not to capture the total emoluments of senators as Senators are said to be making more monies than the tip of the iceberg of Senator Sani's revelations. The ugly practice practice of Jumbo pay by National Assembly started with Obasanjo especially during his efforts to push for his third term bid and continued uncriticized by Goodluck Johnathan only to be openly be criticized in the Buhari's administration.

Shockingly when Nigerians have expected the National Assembly to show patriotism besides their normal rantings and blame game in the their respective chambers, the National Assembly seems more emboldened to appropriate more funds to themselves as recently shown in the 2018 Budget passed by President Buhari. The revelation of the increasing greed of the National Assembly was revealed to Nigerians in the Press Release of President Buhari on the occasion of sinning the 2018 budget.

Besides been irked by the delay of the National Assembly in passing the 2018 budget, President Buhari revealed that the National made cuts amounted to 347 billion Naira in allocation to 4,700 for critical Federal Government projects submitted to them for consideration and that the National Assembly introduced 6,403 projects of their own amounting to 578 billion naira. President Buhari explained that, many of the new projects introduced by the National Assembly have been added to the budget of most MDAs with no consideration for institutional capacity to execute them or incremental recurrent to accommodate them. 

The logic of the National Assembly as expressed by some of it's members in defense of the incremental pay  is said to be rooted on their desire to bring development to the grassroots. In their logic founded on greed, the National Assembly argued that it became pertinent for them to include critical projects in their various states to connect the budget impact to their constituents at  the  grassroots.

it is pretentious, spurious, vexacious, frivolous and nonsensical for the National Assembly to continually push their obnoxious logic of concern for the majority of Nigerians at the  grassroots especially when they have never called for a cut down on their jumbo pay. There is also a greater need for accountability by various State Governors and Local Government administrators.

 For God's sake, the Federal Government has remained faithful in realising funds such as monthly allocations, subventions, intervention etc to the various State Government to undertake critical projects. From these funds, the States Governors  and Local Government administators are expected to run their budget to connect with the grassrooot and not interfere with the budget of the Federal Government. A patriotic National Assembly will rather concentrate on enacting laws for greater transparency and accountability in various sphere of Government than creating more avenues for revenue loss due to iresponsibility of some State Governors and local Government administrators 

It is therefore time for Nigerians to rise in onerous voice with the President Buhari administration to curtail the greed of the National Assembly. The time to act is now for delay is dangerous 

Joseph Odok

#BuharistsHangOut

We Paid N400m Demurrage to Clear N414.8m Chinese Rice Donation - NEMA DG

The House of Representatives Committee on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness has expressed dismay over the inefficient handling of the Chinese rice donations to internally displaced persons in the North East, saying the officials in charge did not discharge their functions well, leading to the unnecessary spending of taxpayers’ money.

The lawmakers were reacting to the presentations made by government agencies during its investigative hearing on breach of public trust by the National Emergency Management Agency on Wednesday.

While making a presentation before the committee, representative of the Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service, Assistant Comptroller General Ekekezie Kaycee (T and T), said three batches of the Chinese rice donation arrived at the Nigerian port on the 9th of May, the second, 15th +August, and the last, 11th September 2017 respectively.

She added that the value of the rice, which came in 151 containers in total, as stated on the bill of lading are as follows: 7, 405, 222 Yuan, 9, 219, 650 million Yuan and 11, 247, 973 Yuan, at an exchange rate of 46.2450 Naira to one Yuan.

Altogether, she informed the committee, 3, 779 metric tonnes of the rice have been cleared, leaving a balance of 3000 metric tonnes. She identified the two companies that did the clearing as Global view Nig ltd and Baltic Air and Maritime Services.

Similarly, the representative of the minister of Budget and National Planning, Mr Iloma Simon, said while making a presentation before the committee that they procured waivers for the rice from the Ministry of Finance at 3 separate times when the goods arrived at the port. His he National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) paid a whopping sum of N400 million in demurrage to clear rice donated by the Chinese government for distribution to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the North East which is valued at N414 million, the Director General of the agency Mustapha Yunusa Maihaja, has said.

Documents submitted to the committee by the ministry of finance dated July 20, 2017, indicates that the total quantity of the rice is 6,779 metric tonnes valued at N414.8 million while the federal ministry of agriculture paid another sum of N272.5 million as the duty. 

However, the figure of N400 million excludes the cost of transporting the rice from the ports to the warehouses of the agency and further revealed that about half of the goods are still at the ports accumulating more demurrage.

Agriculture ministry counterpart said, in his own summary, that the ministry paid for the clearing of the rice and provided warehouses for storage, but is yet to receive any consignment as at today.

In his submission, the director general of NEMA, Engr Mustapha Maihaja, said the agency could only start clearing when it received the bill of lading six months later.

He added that due to the emergency situation, the agency relied on section 43 of its establishment Act and engaged Global View Logistics and Baltic Air and Maritime Services without following due process on procurement. The first clearance was done in January 2018. He also added that the 110 containers of rice cleared have been taken to Borno and Yola.

This disclosure enraged the lawmakers who were angry that the poor handling of the clearance of the rice led to a cost of N400 million taxpayers’ money on payment for demurrage.

-        -  Sahara Reporters

Hon (Pastor) Essien Ayi walks out Pastor Usani Uguru (Niger Delta Minister) from budget defense at NASS

|January 13, 2018|Philip Nyam

The House of Representatives yesterday refused to allow the Minister for Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Usani Uguru Usani, to defend the 2018 budget estimates for the ministry. Chairman of the House Committee on Niger Delta Affairs, Hon. Essien Ekpenyong Ayi, who carried out the act, accused the minister of contempt for the legislature and asked him to appear unfailingly next Tuesday with all supporting documents.

Ayi explained that the decision of the committee not to grant audience to the minister was caused by his consistent refusal to furnish them with details of the contracts awarded by the ministry in the 2016 and 2017 appropriation acts. He said it was curious that the minister was not able to submit even documents relating to its 2018 budget estimates to the committee until yesterday morning.

“The Niger Delta Ministry was set up to see to the development of the Niger Delta, while the committee was equally put in place to facilitate the development of the region through ap-propriate legislative instrument,” he stated. According to the chairman, the ministry has not been cooperating with the committee and, by extension, the National Assembly, noting that, “this committee seriously frowns at the attitude of the Honourable Minister.

The lawmaker recalled that: “On February 22, 2017, a letter ref: NASS/8HR/ CT.069/183 was sent to the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs requesting for the number of houses built in each state of the Niger Delta indicating unit cost, location, and stages of completion. If they have been completed and allocated, he should state the beneficiaries and qualification of the beneficiaries.

The ministry refused to provide the needed information.” The lawmaker added that a reminder on the subject matter, sent to the Niger Delta Affairs Ministry on May 17, was equally ignored. Speaking further, the lawmaker said: “This committee seriously frowns at the attitude of the minister towards it.
On Tuesday, July 14, 2017, the House of Representatives passed a resolution mandating all standing committees to request all ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) under their supervision to supply information on all moveable assets in their ministries for the purpose of verification.

“The committee wrote to the ministry dated July 26, 2017 ref: NASS/ 8HR/ CT.069/190. This letter was ignored by the minister and up till now, we have not gotten the reply to the letter, not to talk of supplying the needed information.

“Lastly, on November 13, 2017, a letter was sent to the minister, attention Director of Procurement requesting for the lists of contracts awarded from the 2016 appropriation act and the location of such projects in the Niger Delta region, this was equally ignored.”

On Ayade's 1.3 trillion budget of 'Kinetic Crystalization'

| 1st December, 2017 |Kennedy Nsan

There's been a floodgates of criticism of the Cross River State 2018 budget proposal online by many Cross Riverians. I think that the right answers are not being sought and the right questions are not being asked.

Before we criticize the budget and jump to conclusions, I'll like for us to demand to see the specific details of the previous and present budget. That is the 2017 budget of 'Deep Vision' and the 2018 budget of 'Kinetic Crystalization'.

Unfortunately, I can bet that most of the people criticizing the amount proposed have not seen a copy of the 2017 N301billion budget of 'Deep Vision' or this year's 1.3trillion budget of 'Kenetic Crystalization'.

For starters, can someone please avail us with soft copies of both budgets? A budget is a public document and should be in the public domain/public space.

So, can someone get a hold on both budgets and forward same to my mail? Or is there a Cross River State Government website where it can be gotten from?

If we can get the soft copies of the budget or even get the hard copies of both, we can then start a fruitful conversation around the deliverables.

Secondly, I think one of the most important question to be asking now is the level of implementation of the 2017 budget of 'Deep Vision' instead of a blanket criticism of the 2018 1.3trillion budget of 'Kinetic Crystalization'.

Which organizations for example or individuals are following up on the budget process and the implementation of previous budgets in Cross River State? What are the reports of these 'experts'?

This for me are the critical questions that we should be asking at this time rather than outright carpeting of the budget proposals for preconceived political capital.

The above questions in my objective reality are the things that should agitate our minds. However, It is okay to criticize the amount if you still want to do so but it is important also that we do so on the basis of knowledge!

Maybe my big brother Ceejay Ojong or Missang Oyama may need to weigh in on this matter.

36 State Governors, the Course They Studied & the Higher Institutions Attended

ABIA STATE
Dr. Okezie Ipkeazu, the governor of Abia state gained admission into the University of Maiduguri in 1980 to study clinical biochemistry and graduated with a B.Sc (Hons) second class upper division in August 1984.

ADAMAWA STATE
Bindo jibrilla, the governor of Adamawa state is described as a successful business man who enrolled for a certificate program in business studies at the city college of higher education, London from 1984. by 1985, he proceeded to enrol for a diploma program in business studies at the same city college of higher education which he earned in 1986.

AKWA IBOM STSTE
Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa ibom state holds a bachelors degree (B.sc) in accounting from the University of Lagos in 1988 .

ANAMBRA STATE
Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra state holds a bachelors degree in Accounting from the prestigious University of Lagos in 1979.

BAUCHI STATE
Barrister Mohammed A. Bello, the executive governor of bauchi state studied at Ahmadu Bello university (ABU) zaria from 1975 to 1978 where he got his LLB Hons.

BAYELSA STSTE
Governor Seriate Henry Dickson of Bayelsa state enrolled in the Rivers state University of science and technology(RSUST) port hercourt, to study law in 1988. he earned his LLB in 1992.

BENUE STATE
Mr. Ortom Samuel, the governor of Benue state enrolled at the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, and obtained both the interim joint matriculation board certificate in 1995 and a diploma in journalism in 1998.
He also attended Benue state university, where he obtained the advanced diploma in personnel management in 2001.

BORNO STATE
Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno state studied agricultural economics at the university of maiduguri, graduated in 1989.

CROSS RIVER STATE
Governor Benedict Bengiousluye Ayade of Cross river state earned his B.sc (Hons) in Microbiology at Ambrose Alli university in Ekpoma from 1984 to 1988.

DELTA STATE
Dr Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta state attended the university of ibadan (UI), where he studied medicine and surgery, graduating in 1981 with an MBBS degree.

EBONYI STATE
Governor Dave Umahi of Ebony state studied civil engineering in the Enugu state university of science and technology (ESUT) and graduated with a bachelor of science degree in 1982.

EDO STATE
Mr Godwin Nogheghese Obaseki, the governor of Edo state attended the University of ibadan (UI) where he bagged a bachelor of arts degree in classics.

EKITI STATE
Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state attended the Polytechnic Ibadan where he did a programme in biological science/applied medical/biology and obtained a higher national diploma in 1987.

ENUGU STATE
Governor Lawrence Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi AKA 'gburugburu', holds bachelors degree in Business Administartion from University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

GOMBE STATE
Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo of Gombe state is a graduate of Ahmadu Bello University, zaria with a degree in Accounting which he obtained in 1985.

IMO STATE
Governor Owelle Rochas Anayo Okorocha of Imo state studied at the University of Jos, obtaining a diploma in Public administration and later returned to obtain an advanced diploma in public administration.

JIGAWA STATE
Governor Mohammed Badaru Abubakar of Jigawa state is a graduate of Ahmadu Bello university, zaria. where he obtained a B.sc Accounting degree.

KADUNA STATE
Mallam Nasir Almad El-Rufai, the executive governor of Kaduna state studied Quantity surveying in Ahmadu Bello university zaria where he obtained bachelor degree with first class honors.

KATSINA STATE
Governor of Katsina State, Alhaji Aminu Bello Masari has issues with his certificate.

KANO STATE
Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State obtained Nigerian certificae of education (NCE) from advanced teachers college kano between 1969 and 1972. he then attended Ahmadu Bello university (ABU), zaria for B.sc in education degree from 1972 to 1975.

KEBBI STATE
Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi state obtained a B.sc in Economics in the prestigious Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto.

KOGI STATE
Governor Yahaya Bello of kogi state was admitted into Ahmadu Bello university, zaria in 1996, where he studied Accounting and graduated in 1999.

KWARA STATE
Governor Abdufatah Ahmed of kwara state attended the school of basic studies of kwara state college of technology (now kwara state polytechnic), ilorin from 1978 to 1980. he went on to study chemistry in University of ilorin where he earned a B.Sc in chemistry.

LAGOS STATE
Governor Akinwumi ambode is an alumunus of University of lagos, where he studied Accounting, remarkebly, he graduated at the age of 21.

NASARAWA STATE
Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa state attended the Ahmadu Bello university, zaria from 1975 to 1978, graduating with a bachelor of education degree.

NIGER STATE
Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger state was admitted into University of Maiduguri in 1986 to 1991 where he obtained a B.Sc in Economics.

OGUN STATE
Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun state attended ogun state polytechnic(now Moshood abiola polytechnic ), abeokuta where he obtained higher national diploma (HND)

ONDO STATE
Governor Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu attended university of ife (now obafemi awolowo university), where he studied law, graduating in 1978.

OYO STATE
Governor Abiola Adeyemi Ajimobi studied business administration and finance at the state University New york. buffalo, New York, graduating with a bachelor of science degree.

OSUN STATE
Governor Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola of Osun state studied mechanical engineering in the polytechnic ibadan graduating in 1980 with higher national diploma(HND)

PLATEAU STATE
Governor Simon Bako Lalong of plateau state studied law in Ahmadu Bello university zaria, graduating in 1990 with a bachelors degree in law.

RIVERS STATE
Governor Ezenwo Nyesom Wike of Rivers state studied law in the Rivers state university of science and technology.

SOKOTO STATE
Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto state attended the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, where he studied law, graduating with an LLB(Hons) degree in 1991.

TARABA STATE
Governor Darins Dickson Ishaku of Taraba state studied architecture in the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria where he obtained a bachelors degree in Architecture.

YOBE STATE
Governor Ibrahim Geidam attended Ahmadu Bello University between 1981 to 1983 where he earned a diploma in accountancy and later returned to earn a B.Sc in accountancy degree in 1990.

ZAMFARA STATE
Alhaji Abdulazuiz Abubakar, the executive Governor of Zamfara state attended Sokoto Polytechnic from 1991 to 1994 where he obtained a certificate and later a diploma in secretarial studies in 2004.

From the above, it will be seen that 26 Governors obtained their first higher institution certificate from a University.

7 Governors obtained their first higher institution certificate from either a Polytechnic or College of Education.

2 Governors studied abroad (Oyo and Adamawa).

Linda Ayade partners SGWF to Empower Cross River state women

|Ukorebi Esien| 28th October, 2017



Dr. Linda Ayade, wife of the digital governor of cross river state in partnership with SGWF has donated items worth thousands of naira to Cross river state women across the 18 local government areas of the state.
The items which are business start up kits include items such as hair dryers, sewing machines, generators, industrial burners and ovens.

According to the commissioner for women affairs Mrs. …. The beneficiaries were trained on entrepreneurship before the actual empowerment.
The ceremony which took place at the Adiabo town hall in Odukpani LGA featured an interactive session between cross river state women and the SGWF.

One of the beneficiary miss. Eunice Attah who spoke to the press on behalf of other beneficiaries said she was grateful to the governor’s wife Dr. Mrs. Linda Ayade and the SGWF for finding her worthy of such kind gesture. She said now she can comfortable start her confectionary business and as a way of giving back and a show of appreciation, she will train other young women in the same line of business.


Earlier on, the first ladies from the southern region of Nigeria took turns to admonish the women present on issues ranging from health, marriage, entrepreneurship, child upbringing, finance etc.

Faces at the women empowerment and town hall meeting.