lambasted members of both arms of the National Assembly,
accusing them of greed, impunity and corruption.
Obasanjo, whose accusation was contained in a January
13, 2016, letter addressed to the Senate President, Bukola
Saraki, and speaker of the House of Representatives,
Yakubu Dogara, lamented that the lawmakers had failed to
show understanding, in view of the present economic
situation in the country, caused by a crash in the price of
crude oil in the international market.
Saraki, Dogara speak
While Senate President, Bukola Saraki, said he would react
to the former President in a formal manner, the House of
Representatives Speaker said it would not like to join
issues with him.
Obasanjo said it was regrettable that the National Assembly
had not shown enough courage to publish its recurrent
budget for 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2015, stressing the need
for the lawmakers to be transparent in their financial
dealings.
Obasanjo said: ‘’On a few occasions in the past, both in and
out of office as the President of Nigeria, I have agonised on
certain issues within the arms of government at the national
level and among the tiers of government as well.
‘’Not least, I have reflected and expressed, outspokenly at
times, my views on the practice in the National Assembly
which detracts from distinguishedness and honourability
because it is shrouded in opaqueness and absolute lack of
transparency and could not be regarded as normal, good
and decent practice in a democracy that is supposed to be
exemplary. I am, of course, referring to the issue of
budgets and finances of the National Assembly.
‘’The present economic situation that the country has found
itself in is the climax of the steady erosion of good financial
and economic management which grew from bad to worse
in the last six years or so.
‘’The executive and the
legislative arms of
government must accept
and share responsibility in
this regard. And if there will
be a redress of the situation
as early as possible, the
two arms must also bear
the responsibility
proportionally.
‘’The two arms ran the
affairs of the country
unmindful of the rainy day.
The rainy day is now here.
It would not work that the
two arms should stand side
by side with one arm pulling
and without the support of
the other one for good and
efficient management of the
economy.
‘’The purpose of election
into the Legislative
Assembly particularly at the
national level is to give
service to the nation and
not for the personal service
and interest of members at
the expense of the nation
which seemed to have been
the mentality, psychology,
mindset and practice within
the National Assembly
since the beginning of this present democratic dispensation.
Where is patriotism? Where is commitment? Where is
service?
Good governace and transparency
‘’The beginning of good governance which is the
responsibility of all arms and all the tiers of government is
openness and transparency.
‘’It does not matter what else we try to do, as long as one
arm of government shrouds its financial administration and
management in opaqueness and practices rife with
corruption, only very little, if anything at all, can be
achieved in putting Nigeria on the path of sustainable and
enduring democratic system, development and progress.
Governance without transparency will be a mockery of
democracy.
‘’Let us be more direct and specific so that action can be
taken where it is urgently necessary. A situation where our
national budget was predicated on $38 per barrel of oil with
estimated 2 million barrels per day and before the budget
was presented, the price of oil had gone down to $34 per
barrel and now hovering around $30 and we have no
assurance of producing 2 million barrels and if we can, we
have no assurance of finding market for it, definitely calls
for caution.
‘’If production and price projected in the budget stand, we
would have to borrow almost one third of the 6 trillion naira
budget. Now beginning with the reality of the budget, there
is need for sober reflection and sacrifice with innovation at
the level of executive and legislative arms of government.
‘’The soberness, the sacrifice and seriousness must be
patient and apparent. It must not be seen and said that
those who, as leaders, call for sacrifice from the citizenry
are living in obscene opulence.
‘’It will not only be insensitive but callously so. It would
seem that it is becoming a culture that election into the
legislative arm of government at the national level in
particular is a licence for financial misconduct and that
should not be.
NASS and new image
‘’The National Assembly now has a unique opportunity of
presenting a new image of itself. It will help to strengthen,
deepen, widen and sustain our democracy. By our
Constitution, the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and
Fiscal Commission is charged with the responsibility of
fixing emoluments of the three arms of government:
executive, legislature and judiciary.
‘’Mr. President of the Senate and Hon. Speaker of the House,
you know that your emolument which the Commission had
recommended for you takes care of all your legitimate
requirements: basic salary, car, housing, staff, constituency
allowance.
‘’Although the constituency allowance is paid to all
members of the National Assembly, many of them have no
constituency offices which the allowance is partly meant to
cater for. And yet other allowances and payments have
been added by the National Assembly for the National
Assembly members’ emoluments. Surely, strictly speaking,
it is unconstitutional.
‘’The National Assembly should have the courage to publish
its recurrent budgets for the years 2000, 2005, 2010 and
2015. That is what transparency demands. With the number
of legislators not changing, comparison can be made.
‘’Comparisons in emoluments can also be made with
countries like Ghana, Kenya, Senegal and even Malaysia
and Indonesia who are richer and more developed than we
are.
‘’The budget is a proposal and only an estimate of income
and expenditure. Where income is inadequate, expenditure
will not be made. While in government, I was threatened
with impeachment by the members of the National
Assembly for not releasing some money they had
appropriated for themselves which were odious and for
which there were no incomes to support.
‘’The recent issue of cars for legislators would fall into the
same category. Whatever name it is disguised as, it is
unnecessary and insensitive. A pool of a few cars for each
Chamber will suffice for any Committee Chairman or
members for any specific duty.
‘’The waste that has gone into cars, furniture, housing
renovation in the past was mind-boggling and these were
veritable sources of waste and corruption. That was why
they were abolished. Bringing them back is inimical to the
interest of Nigeria and Nigerians.
‘’It will be interesting if the National Assembly will be
honourable enough and begin the process of transparency,
responsibility and realism by publishing its recurrent
budgets for 2016 as it should normally be done.’’
Saraki, Dogara, others react
Reacting to the allegation, the Senate President, Bukola
Saraki, said he was still studying the letter and would
formally write a reply to the former President in no time.
Speaking through his Special Adviser, Media and
Publicity,Yusuph Olaniyonu, Saraki acknowledged that he
had received the letter and that he would formally
communicate the former President.
But Senate spokesman, Aliyu Sabi, claimed that he was not
aware of the said letter to the Senate President, stressing
that if the letter was sent, it would be communicated to
senators through the Senate President.
“As far as I am concerned, I am not aware of any letter to
the Senate President from the former president,so I cannot
comment on what I am not aware of.
“We have a constitution on this country and any
communication to the National Assembly must follow the
laid-down rules, so like I said, when I am informed of the
said letter, I can now speak,” he told Vanguard.
On its part, the House of Representatives said it would not
like to join issues with the former President.
Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public
Affairs, Abdulrasak Namdas, said: “I don’t want to join
issues with the former President, what is before us now is
the 2016 budget which we are committed to work on.”
However, a member of the House, Chike Okafor, APC, Imo,
said the former President’s letter was an expression of his
lost bid to extend his tenure about ten years ago.
According to him, the former president appears not to have
forgiven the National Assembly for cutting short his
aspiration.
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