After weeks of expectations and waiting, the House of Representatives’ standing committees swung into action by engaging MDAs for the defence of the 2023 Appropriation Bill and related issues. This however did not happen without lamentations, frowns, directives and more. JOSHUA EGBODO presents a review of some sessions
The earlier concerns
To many Nigerians, the 2023 budget defence activities started far behind expected takeoff in the House of Representatives, especially, with the suspension of regular plenary to allow the committees focus on the budget, which is the last of the running administration. Though the panels, often times, cite some behind-the-scene oversight engagements with heads of MDAs as parts of the process, it is yet doubtful to many if enough were being done in such exercises.
Work started
When more concerns were rife, a good number of committees of the House commenced work, and had been consistent for more than a week running.
Admonition
One of the committees that started on the side of wake-up call was the House Committee on Defence, which on Tuesday November 1, 2022 met with Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Major General Bashir Magashi (rtd), during which information on efforts made so far the recent security alert issued by some foreign missions in Nigeria over a possible attack on Abuja.
“For more than sixteen years, Nigeria has witnessed diverse and unprecedented level of insecurity in which the Armed Forces of Nigeria have been fully involved prompting the launch of about thirteen operations and four exercises as well as providing support for tackling several domestic security challenges. The House Committee on Defence is delighted with the successes recorded so far, especially in the last five months. We acknowledge these robust achievements which is a proof of the level of professionalism often displayed by our military in the discharge of their duties.
“However, this Committee requests that the Armed Forces of Nigeria should take note of the recent security alert in Nigeria by the US government. We urge you to effectively collaborate with sister security agencies to ensure that all security threats are completely neutralised and Nigerians can live peacefully”, the Chairman charged.
The Defence Minister was to confirm that there had been a beef up of security in and around Abuja, the nation’s capital, following the alert, and subsequently urged citizens to be vigilant at all times, saying there is no smoke without fire.
“If you remember, yesterday (last Monday), the security council met and we discussed this threat and it was believed that we will not take it lightly. We tried to verify the source of the threat or the pronouncement made by the US government. We tried to identify countries that were also interested in the same remarks made by the US government and we are of the opinion that the best way to go about it is to continue, and where possible beef up security in Abuja..”, he said.
The situation reportedly under control as acclaimed by Magashi in the opinion of many, may have gotten a boost with the backtrack made by the United Kingdom government, allaying fears of its citizens travelling to Nigeria. It said travel to Nigeria is safe for its people.
So also was the committee on science and technology under Hon. Beni Lar, who charged the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN), to focus more attention on rural areas of the country, to help development.
Some lamented
Notable amongst those who however complained of low budgetary allocation were the Minister of Information, Culture and Toursim, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola.
While Mohammed was more on the need for higher allocation of funds to enable the ministry deliver on its mandates, Fashola added the dimension of challenges created by the long years of employment enpmbergo, which he said was impeding the speed of infrastructure delivery .
“The shortage of younger engineers, technical officers in the ministry as a result of embargo on employment is affecting proficient project supervision at the sites. It is expected that more sources of funding of highway projects be explored as well as lifting the embargo on employment of needed engineers and technical officers at middle level to enhance supervision of projects”, Fashola told the committee on Works.
Assurances
Slightly away from that was from the committee on drugs and narcotics, which pledged to increase the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) 2023 budget estimate to enable it perform optimally. The committee last on Thursday hosted Chairman of NDLEA, Brigadier General Buba Marwa (rtd) for the agency’s budget defence. Chairman of the committee, Francis Agbo who noted that NDLEA is understaffed reiterated that the agency needs adequate funding to enable them build their barracks for the safety of its staff considering the risk involved in fighting drug cartels.
But the knocks
However, the engagements so far didn’t happen without some measure of hard knocks on some heads of MDAs. Notable amongst such was that of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, which last Wednesday, cam hard on the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama over reported extra-budgetary expenditure of billions of naira.
The Hon. Yusuf Buba Yakub-led panel during a budget defence session with the Ministry on Wednesday, accused the minister of becoming a law unto himself by refusing to adhere to the dictates of the Appropriation Act, citing the refusal by Missions and Embassies to constitute their Tender Boards, as well as failure to render account of their administrative charges as one of the breaches. “One is therefore surprised and, indeed, it beats every logic that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has deliberately refused to abide by the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and by other statutes of the land, including the Standing Orders of the House.
“The question this Committee is asking the Minister of Foreign Affairs is: Is he bigger than Nigeria and its laws? Or how else will one explain the constant flagrant abuse of the laws of the land even when we have continued to write letters to the Ministry reminding it of relevant provisions of our laws that demand abiding by…..Being aware that administrative charges have been approved at the Missions by Mr President, this Committee, in line with Section 80 (3 and 4) CFRN (As Amended) has also observed that in total disregard to what the law says, the Minister has continued to authorise the spending of monies generated through administrative charges at the missions without being appropriated by the National Assembly.”
The committee subsequently resolved not consider the 2023 appropriation proposal of the Ministry until it directs all Missions to abide by Section 10 of the 2022 Appropriations Act (as Amended), directing the ministry to furnish the National Assembly with the 2023 budget proposals in respect to targeted revenues from administrative charges at the missions.
The minister however absolved self. “We have never flouted the law in anyway. I have never signed any document in respect to the disregard of the parliament,” he said, pointing out that various charges filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on the issues, and pledged to provide evidence to substantiate his position on the issues raised by the committee.
Another hard knock was from the Committee on Public Accounts, which the same Wednesday rejected the N5.112 billion total budget for Office of the Auditor General of the Federation as contained in the 2023 Appropriation Bill’ and followed up with summon of the insisted of Finance, Dr. Zainab Ahmed, Acting Accountant General of the Federation, Sylva Okolieaboh and the Director General, Budget Office the Federation, Mr. Ben Nwabueze, giving the trio a seven-day ultimatum to appear and explain why the budget of such a strategic office should be so meagre.
Auditor General of the Federation, Andrew Onwudili had while briefing the Hon. Wole Oke-led committee disclosed that though the office proposed a total budget of N11.151 billion, what the budget office approved and put in the budget was N5.112 billion. According to him, the office had proposed a personnel cost of N3.041 billion as against the N2.349 billion contained in the budget, a proposal of N5.59 billion for overhead costs as against the N2.113 billion, and a proposal of N2.52 billion against the N62.70 million contained in the budget estimates.
Oke in reaction said “It is very important at this point in time to state clearly observations. We want to observe that, the government of President Buhari was elected based on his promise, determination to tame corruption, to humble corruption in our country. And one of the institutions, as a matter of fact, the fundamental institution which the crafters of our constitution put in place under Section 85 is the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation. By Act of the Parliament, we have created ancillary institutions like ICPC, EFCC to work with the products,, with the findings of the Office of the Auditor General’s office after due consideration by the Parliament.
“It is very unfortunate that we have noticed the concerted effort, determination to undermine the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation. To eradicate, to repeal illegally the Supreme audit institution of this country. We have seen the determination of the lieutenants of Mr President, particularly the minister of finance, the DG Budget office to undermine Mr President in his determination to wage war against corruption on the land.
“Otherwise, why would you allocate several billions to ancillary institutions and you are giving N62 million to the office of the Auditor General of the Federation to fund Capital? They have to go cap in Hand to pay for worker? They are understaffed, they are undermined? They cannot conduct performance audit. As we speak, this office is yet to lay their reports in respect of 2022 and 2021 financial years.
“Or, are they telling Nigerians, that even the objectives laid by Mr President is determined to undermine this supreme audit institution? Otherwise, Mr President would have assented that Bill presented to him, and this would have given the Auditor General’s office its rightful place in our country.
“We reject this budget.This budget cannot work. The Auditor General of the Federation, the minister of finance, the two of the are hereby summoned to appear before this committee, to come and tell Nigerians. The minister for finance, the DG Budget, the Accountant General of the Federation, the three of them should cause appearance before this committee and tell Nigerians why they are undermining the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation”.
High expectations
As more progress is being made into consideration of the budget, Nigerians are high in expectations that the ongoing engagements should produce a document the meet their needs and aspirations. Would there be a paradigm shift? This a question that the times are waiting to provide answers to.