Sallah forces Reps to postpone resumption

The House of Representatives has postponed by one week its
anticipated resumption, The PUNCH learnt in Abuja on
Sunday.

This also implies that the expected action of the 360-member
legislature on the budget padding allegations levelled against the
Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, and three other principal officers,
will be delayed by at least one week.

The other three are the Deputy Speaker, Mr. Yussuff Lasun; the
Chief Whip, Mr. Alhassan Ado-Doguwa; and the Minority Leader, Mr.
Leo Ogor.

Lawmakers proceeded on their annual recess on July 20 and were
scheduled to reconvene on September 13.

Findings by The PUNCH showed on Sunday that the
resumption date had been postponed by one week due to the
forthcoming Eid-el Kabir festivities.

A senior National Assembly official stated on Sunday, “The
Sallah proper will be on Monday, September 12, just one day to the
original resumption date.

“Taken that the Federal Government will naturally declare Monday
and Tuesday (September 13) as public holidays to mark the Sallah,
it is no longer feasible for the House to reconvene on September
13.

“We are now looking at a date from Tuesday, September 20.”

Meanwhile, a former Deputy Minority Whip of the House, Mr. Garba
Dhatti, confirmed to The PUNCH on Sunday that the
resumption would be delayed by “three weeks.”

Dhatti, who is still a serving member, stated, “The end of
recess will now be up to three weeks (September 20).

“It has to be after Sallah, which you know is Monday (September
12).”

The development came as the Chief Whip of the 7th House
(2011-2015), Mr. Ishaka Bawa, told The PUNCHthat there was
“nothing abnormal” for Dogara and other principal officers to
receive higher allocations for intervention or constituency
projects in the 2016 budget.

Bawa said in every budget year, principal officers were
allocated higher votes for projects in line with a “parliamentary
tradition in practice over the years.”

Citing the instance of the 7th Assembly, where he was the fourth
highest-ranked principal officer, Bawa disclosed that each of the
10 principal officers received higher project allocations according
to their ranks.

He also confirmed that all the principal officers had higher
project votes than those he called “floor members.”

Bawa added, “As a principal officer in the 7th Assembly, the
funds allocated for my projects were higher than that of Dogara,
who was a ‘floor member’ at the time.

“Dogara was a floor member. Even as the Chairman, Committee on
House Services, the funds for his projects were nothing compared to
that of the least-ranked principal officer.

“Principal officers got their allocations pro-rata. They then
identified the projects which were domiciled in the relevant
Ministries, Departments and Agencies for execution.

“Every member knows that this has been the practice and the 8th
Assembly principal officers have done nothing new.”

According to Bawa, the allocations of Dogara and the other three
principal officers in the 2016 budget are not padding “so long as
they were contained in the budget that was considered, passed by
the National Assembly and signed into the law by Mr.
President.”

Bawa, a lawyer, argued that the padding allegations could “only
be sustained if there is proof that the money (N40bn) was added to
the budget after the National Assembly passed it and on its way to
the President’s office.”

A former Chairman, Committee on Appropriation, Mr. Abdulmumin
Jibrin, had alleged that the Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, and three
other principal officers requested the inclusion of N40bn projects
in the 2016 budget, besides sundry projects in sums ranging from
N20bn to N30bn.

He claimed that his refusal to oblige the four principal
officers and his opposition to several alleged financial
infractions were responsible for his sacking by Dogara on July
20.

The leadership of the House denied the alleged padding, saying
all insertions into the budget followed the “due process of
legislation and budgeting.”

However, it said Jibrin’s allegations would be investigated
internally by the Committee on Ethics and Privileges after the
House would have reconvened on the initially fixed September
13.

The police, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the
Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption are already
investigating the allegations.

Jibrin had petitioned the agencies and the Independent Corrupt
Practices and other related offences Commission as well as the
Department of State Services.

Also on Sunday, Jibrin suggested how the budgeting process and
other finances of the House could be reformed to plug alleged
loopholes for “fraud.”

Jibrin said he made the submissions to the Presidential Advisory
Committee Against Corruption during his visit to the body in Abuja
on Wednesday last week.

He said he told the committee, which is chaired by Prof. Itse
Sagay, that the legislature was abusing its power of appropriation
and should be stopped.

Jibrin suggested that copies of the budget should always be
circulated to all members while the highlights and the details must
be considered together by lawmakers.

He added, “The most important reform here is to ensure that
budget estimates and details are returned to the floor of the House
at the same time for passage.

“This will check the insertions by some standing committee
chairmen and principal officers in the process of budget
passage.

On the internal finances of the House, Jibrin said such funds
should be made public so that Nigerians could follow the spending
pattern of lawmakers.

Copyright PUNCH.

The post Sallah forces Reps to postpone resumption
appeared first from online sources and was reposted by the community on Welcome to 9jalegal – Nigeria’s Leading Legal
Information and Services Portal.

The House of Representatives has postponed by one week its
anticipated resumption, The PUNCH learnt in Abuja on
Sunday.

This also implies that the expected action of the 360-member
legislature on the budget padding allegations levelled against the
Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, and three other principal officers,
will be delayed by at least one week.

The other three are the Deputy Speaker, Mr. Yussuff Lasun; the
Chief Whip, Mr. Alhassan Ado-Doguwa; and the Minority Leader, Mr.
Leo Ogor.

Lawmakers proceeded on their annual recess on July 20 and were
scheduled to reconvene on September 13.

Findings by The PUNCH showed on Sunday that the
resumption date had been postponed by one week due to the
forthcoming Eid-el Kabir festivities.

A senior National Assembly official stated on Sunday, “The
Sallah proper will be on Monday, September 12, just one day to the
original resumption date.

“Taken that the Federal Government will naturally declare Monday
and Tuesday (September 13) as public holidays to mark the Sallah,
it is no longer feasible for the House to reconvene on September
13.

“We are now looking at a date from Tuesday, September 20.”

Meanwhile, a former Deputy Minority Whip of the House, Mr. Garba
Dhatti, confirmed to The PUNCH on Sunday that the
resumption would be delayed by “three weeks.”

Dhatti, who is still a serving member, stated, “The end of
recess will now be up to three weeks (September 20).

“It has to be after Sallah, which you know is Monday (September
12).”

The development came as the Chief Whip of the 7th House
(2011-2015), Mr. Ishaka Bawa, told The PUNCHthat there was
“nothing abnormal” for Dogara and other principal officers to
receive higher allocations for intervention or constituency
projects in the 2016 budget.

Bawa said in every budget year, principal officers were
allocated higher votes for projects in line with a “parliamentary
tradition in practice over the years.”

Citing the instance of the 7th Assembly, where he was the fourth
highest-ranked principal officer, Bawa disclosed that each of the
10 principal officers received higher project allocations according
to their ranks.

He also confirmed that all the principal officers had higher
project votes than those he called “floor members.”

Bawa added, “As a principal officer in the 7th Assembly, the
funds allocated for my projects were higher than that of Dogara,
who was a ‘floor member’ at the time.

“Dogara was a floor member. Even as the Chairman, Committee on
House Services, the funds for his projects were nothing compared to
that of the least-ranked principal officer.

“Principal officers got their allocations pro-rata. They then
identified the projects which were domiciled in the relevant
Ministries, Departments and Agencies for execution.

“Every member knows that this has been the practice and the 8th
Assembly principal officers have done nothing new.”

According to Bawa, the allocations of Dogara and the other three
principal officers in the 2016 budget are not padding “so long as
they were contained in the budget that was considered, passed by
the National Assembly and signed into the law by Mr.
President.”

Bawa, a lawyer, argued that the padding allegations could “only
be sustained if there is proof that the money (N40bn) was added to
the budget after the National Assembly passed it and on its way to
the President’s office.”

A former Chairman, Committee on Appropriation, Mr. Abdulmumin
Jibrin, had alleged that the Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, and three
other principal officers requested the inclusion of N40bn projects
in the 2016 budget, besides sundry projects in sums ranging from
N20bn to N30bn.

He claimed that his refusal to oblige the four principal
officers and his opposition to several alleged financial
infractions were responsible for his sacking by Dogara on July
20.

The leadership of the House denied the alleged padding, saying
all insertions into the budget followed the “due process of
legislation and budgeting.”

However, it said Jibrin’s allegations would be investigated
internally by the Committee on Ethics and Privileges after the
House would have reconvened on the initially fixed September
13.

The police, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the
Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption are already
investigating the allegations.

Jibrin had petitioned the agencies and the Independent Corrupt
Practices and other related offences Commission as well as the
Department of State Services.

Also on Sunday, Jibrin suggested how the budgeting process and
other finances of the House could be reformed to plug alleged
loopholes for “fraud.”

Jibrin said he made the submissions to the Presidential Advisory
Committee Against Corruption during his visit to the body in Abuja
on Wednesday last week.

He said he told the committee, which is chaired by Prof. Itse
Sagay, that the legislature was abusing its power of appropriation
and should be stopped.

Jibrin suggested that copies of the budget should always be
circulated to all members while the highlights and the details must
be considered together by lawmakers.

He added, “The most important reform here is to ensure that
budget estimates and details are returned to the floor of the House
at the same time for passage.

“This will check the insertions by some standing committee
chairmen and principal officers in the process of budget
passage.

On the internal finances of the House, Jibrin said such funds
should be made public so that Nigerians could follow the spending
pattern of lawmakers.

Copyright PUNCH.

The post Sallah forces Reps to postpone resumption
appeared first from online sources and was reposted by the community on Welcome to 9jalegal – Nigeria’s Leading Legal
Information and Services Portal.