Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, the Governor of Anambra State, has disclosed that he has not taken any salary from the state since assuming office as governor two years ago.

He said that his wife does not have an official car as the first lady of Anambra State but still drives his personal cars.

The governor said this during the celebration of two years anniversary of his administration at the International Convention Center, Awka, the state capital on Sunday.

Soludo said he is deliberately executing the most austere measure government ever by cutting costs and not borrowing for the last two years.

“Any governor that comes floods you with offers for borrowing and so on and so forth, but we decided for the first two years to demonstrate something, capacity to do more with less.

“And so far as has been said, for two years, despite receiving about 25 per cent in real terms or in dollar terms of what was in the past, we have chosen deliberately not to borrow.

I have been aske severally; ‘how do you do without borrowing and with the difficult circumstances?’ And my answer is that we are doing so because we are executing the most austere measure government ever.

“As I speak to you, I am not taking any salary, I am not paid any salary by Anambra State government. Even the First Lady of Anambra don’t have any official car, she still drives my personal vehicles,” Soludo said.

The governor said that his decision to cut wastes and the cost of governance is to direct resources and prioritise them to things that are important to the people of the state.

He said his administration has prioritised areas that has been neglected in the past, building hospitals, roads schools and others in places that such amenities have never reached.

Soludo assured the people of Anambra that any kobo entrusted in his hand as the governor will be accounted for, saying that if he ever borrows, the people will be shown the projects the loan was used for and how those projects would repay the loan.

The celebration of the two years anniversary of Soludo’s administration was marked with the Pontifical Mass of Thanksgiving led by the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Nnewi, Most Rev. Jonas-Benson Okoye and the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Awka, Most Rev. Paulinus Ezeokafor.

Shade Ladipo, the popular Nigerian media personality, has explained why she does not want to have children.

According to the veteran broadcaster, she will be 42 soon and never liked the idea of having kids.

She explained that she loves children but added that she does not want to be a mother.

She noted that her lack of interest in having children was not part of the reason for her divorce from her estranged husband.

The veteran TV host, however, said she is open to remarriage.

Speaking in an interview with Daddy Freeze, Ladipo said, “I am open to remarry. But I don’t want kids. I’m going to be 42 in November. I’ve never had the incline to have a child. I will be honest.

“I love children. Children love me. Children are actually attracted to me. I will go to a children party and they will start to sit around me. Children love me but I don’t have any feeling to have a child of my own. I can adopt. Maybe, adopt a whole orphanage and give them my last name. But I don’t want to.

“My decision not to have kids wasn’t an issue with my ex-husband. He was indifferent. He will have kids. But with me, it wasn’t an issue.”

The senator for Delta North senatorial district, Ned Nwoko has disclosed that he received more than N1 billion for constituency projects.

Nwoko, during a recent interview, mentioned that the allocation of resources to senators often varies based on the magnitude of their constituency projects, indicating that it’s not uncommon for some, including himself, to receive larger amounts.

This revelation comes amid the recent controversy of budget padding by Senator Abdul Ningi of the 2024 budget with an extra N3.7 trillion, a fund not tied to any extra project.

Although the Red Chamber denied any wrongdoing, some senators clarified the amount allocated for constituency projects in their districts.

Speaking on the developments, Nwoko made it clear that the allocated funds are for financing projects, not for personal reimbursement of individual senators.

“Senators get what they lobby for, not because they have the right to it. Everybody just goes about doing what they can do for their constituencies and senatorial districts.

“A better approach would have been for senatorial uniformity. So if they say that everyone should get about N1 billion, be it. But this way, you rely on your weight and contacts to see what you can get for your people.

“We are not talking about money for the senators. This is for projects within our senatorial districts. If you have road, water, or training programmes all should aggregate to a particular amount.”

When asked whether the lawmaker gets as much as N1 billion in allocation, the senator replied:

“Of course, I did. That’s why I am who I am. But these are projects for my people.

Seasoned Nollywood actor and producer, Funsho Adeolu recently made some startling revelations on Teju Babyface’s podcast, accusing some of his colleagues, particularly the females of engaging in some unsavory extra-curricular activities to boost their lifestyles, and also asserting that actors who go into politics cannot be considered real actors.

According to him, “A lot of these people are not actors. An actor shall not be a politician.”

When the host, Babyface interjected, saying, “I know one who is a politician in Lagos, are you saying he is not an actor?”

Adeolu retorted, “Yes. I don’t consider him as an actor. An actor should not be in politics. If you’re an actor who is in politics you were never an actor.”

In the same vein, Adeolu queried the source of income of his female colleagues in the industry.

He averred that some actresses only come on set so they can pretend that the industry is what funds their lifestyle.

“I charge more money per movie than most Nollywood actresses but they ride bigger cars than I do. They can’t say they make all that money from acting movies to fund their lifestyles.

“People that if I collect N200,000 in a job, they can’t collect N20,000, they are riding bigger cars than I am riding

“What they do is come on set, show themselves on TV, so they have the opportunity to..,” he said without finishing the sentence.

Funsho Adeolu was born in 1968 and has been in the movie industry for decades.

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the Senate President Mr Godswill Akpabio to “urgently refer the allegations that lawmakers padded the 2024 budget by irregularly inserting projects worth N3.7 trillion to appropriate anti-corruption agencies for investigation and prosecution.”

SERAP urged him “to immediately reinstate whistleblower Abdul Ningi who was recently suspended from the Senate over his allegations that the lawmakers padded the 2024 budget by irregularly inserting projects worth N3.7 trillion.”

SERAP also urged him “to make a public commitment to discontinue the patently unlawful constituency projects in the next budget cycle.”

In the letter dated 16 March 2024 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “Referring these allegations to appropriate anticorruption agencies would be consistent with the lawmakers’ oath of office and the letter and spirit of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended].”

SERAP said, “What Senator Ningi has done is a positive act of good citizenship. No whistleblower should ever be penalised simply for making a public interest disclosure.”

The letter, read in part: “Without inside information, corruption is hard to detect, prevent and combat. Rather than suspending Senator Ningi, the Senate ought to have used his allegations as a trigger for addressing the lingering problem of budget padding and corruption in the implementation of constituency projects.”

“Referring the allegations to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) would improve public trust in the ability of the leadership of the Senate to ensure probity and accountability in the budget process.”

“We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within 7 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall consider appropriate legal actions to compel you and the Senate to comply with our requests in the public interest.”

“By exercising strong and effective leadership in this matter, the National Assembly can show Nigerians that the legislative body is a proper and accountable watchdog that represents and protects the public interest, and is able to hold itself to account in the management of public resources.”

“Encouraging whistleblowers to speak up improves public services and strengthens public accountability. Promptly referring the allegations to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for investigations and prosecution would serve the public interest.”

“Investigating and prosecuting the allegations of budget padding and corruption would end the impunity of perpetrators. It would improve transparency and accountability in the National Assembly, and build trust in democratic institutions with the ultimate aim of strengthening the rule of law.”

“SERAP is concerned about the opacity and lack of accountability in the spending of public funds on constituency projects since the return of democracy in 1999.”

“SERAP is seriously concerned that years of allegations of budget padding and corruption in the implementation of constituency projects have contributed to widespread poverty, underdevelopment and lack of access to public goods and services.”

“Allegations of budget padding and corruption in the implementation of constituency projects have also continued to have negative impacts on the fundamental interests of the citizens in several communities and the public interest.”

“SERAP is concerned that despite the country’s enormous oil wealth, ordinary Nigerians have derived very little benefit from the budget primarily because of budget padding and corruption in the implementation of constituency projects and the entrenched culture of impunity of perpetrators.”

“Combating budget padding and discontinuing constituency projects would serve the public interest, improve access of Nigerians to basic public goods and services, and enhance the ability of ministries, departments and agencies to effectively and efficiently discharge their constitutional and statutory responsibilities.”

“SERAP notes that Section 15(5) of the Nigerian Constitution requires public institutions to abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of power.”

“Section 16(2) of the Nigerian Constitution further provides that, ‘the material resources of the nation are harnessed and distributed as best as possible to serve the common good.’”

“Section 13 of the Nigerian Constitution imposes clear responsibility on the National Assembly including the Senate to conform to, observe and apply the provisions of Chapter 2 of the constitution.”

“Section 81 of the Nigerian Constitution and sections 13 and 18 Fiscal Responsibility Act constrain the ability of the National Assembly to unilaterally insert its own allocations in the budget without following the due process of law.”

“Nigeria has made legally binding commitments under the UN Convention against Corruption to ensure accountability in the management of public resources.”

“Articles 5 and 9 of the UN Convention against Corruption also impose legal obligations on the National Assembly including the Senate to ensure proper management of public affairs and public funds.”

“Article 33 of the Convention requires government institutions including the Senate to ensure the protection of whistleblowers against any unjustified treatment. These commitments ought to be fully upheld and respected.”

“The National Assembly has a constitutional responsibility to combat corruption, waste and abuse in its own spending if it is to effectively exercise its oversight functions and hold the government to account.”

“It is a travesty and a fundamental breach of their fiduciary duties for members of the National Assembly to arbitrarily increase their own budget and to use the national budget as a tool to satisfy the lifestyle of lawmakers, and for personal gain.”

“SERAP also urges you to put in place transparency and accountability mechanisms to ensure that the trillions of naira budgeted for constituency projects are not embezzled, misappropriated or diverted into private pockets.”

“Lawmakers should feel safe to freely raise public interest concerns, just as Senator Ningi has done in disclosing information on alleged budget padding and corruption in the Senate.”

“Senator Ningi is a whistleblower, who is protected under article 33 of the UN Convention against Corruption to which Nigeria is a state party. Senator Ningi is a whistleblower because of his public interest disclosures on alleged budget padding and corruption in the Senate in the context of carrying out his work as Senator.”

“He is entitled to raise concerns about allegations of budget padding in the National Assembly to address the negative effects of corruption on access of millions of Nigerians to basic public goods and services and enjoyment of human rights.”

“The allegations by Senator Ningi amount to public interest disclosures and can contribute to strengthening transparency and democratic accountability in the Senate in particular and the country as a whole.”

“Suspension of Senator Ningi by the Senate followed a seriously flawed process and it amounts to retaliation. Senator Ningi’s status as a whistleblower is not diminished even if the perceived threat to the public interest has not materialised, since he would seem to have reasonable grounds to believe in the accuracy of the allegations of budget padding and corruption in the Senate.”

“SERAP notes that freedom of expression is a constitutional and internationally recognized human right in Nigeria, and the country has enacted the Freedom of Information Act which grants Nigerians the right to seek and receive information such as the information about budget padding being disclosed by Senator Ningi.”

“Whistleblowing is a fundamental aspect of freedom of expression and freedom of conscience and is important in tackling gross mismanagement of Nigeria’s commonwealth. Whistleblowing can act as an early warning to prevent damage as well as detect wrongdoing that may otherwise remain hidden.”

“According to our information, Senator Abdul Ningi Mr Ningi, the Chairperson of the Northern Senators Forum (NSF), recently told BBC Hausa that the lawmakers sought the service of a private auditor and discovered irregularities in the budget.”

“Senator Ningi reportedly said, ‘For example, we had a budget of N28 trillion but after our thorough checks, we found out that it was a budget of N25 trillion. How and where did we get the additional N3 trillion from, what are we spending it for?.’”

“According to BudgIT, a total of 7,447 projects culminating in N2.24tn were indiscriminately inserted in the 2024 budget by the National Assembly. 281 projects worth N491bn, and 3,706 projects within the range of N100–500m, worth 759bn were inserted in the budget.”

Niger’s government announced on Saturday that it was breaking off “with immediate effect” its military cooperation agreement with the United States.

The declaration came just a day after a senior US delegation left Niger, following a three-day visit to renew contact with the military junta that ousted the president and moved closer to Russia.

The statement said the government had decided to “denounce with immediate effect” the agreement relating to US military and civilian employees of the US Department of Defense inside Niger.

It was read out Saturday evening on national television.

US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Washington was aware of the statement, and that it came after “frank discussions … about our concerns” with the junta’s “trajectory.”

Miller said on X that the US was still in touch with the junta and would provide updates “as warranted.”

The Pentagon provided AFP with an identical statement.

The United States still stations some 1,000 troops in Niger at a desert drone base built at a cost of $100 million.

Movements there have been limited since the July 2023 coup and Washington has curbed assistance to the government.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken paid a rare visit to Niger a year ago in hopes of shoring up president Mohamed Bazoum, a stalwart ally in Western security efforts against jihadists.

Just four months later, the military deposed Bazoum and put him under house arrest.

The junta took a hard line against former colonial power France, forcing the withdrawal of French troops in place for nearly a decade.

Niger’s military had in the past worked closely with the United States.

But the junta has sought cooperation with Russia, while stopping short of the full-fledged embrace of Moscow by military-run neighbours Mali and Burkina Faso.

Fate is an intricate decider of human life. So it was with an Enugu-based lawyer, Ellias Ugwu, 60, who went to rescue his kidnapped cousin in Kogi State, last week. His cousin, Alexander Ugwu, 53, a businessman at Akpanya, Benue State, was going back to his base in a commercial bus when they encountered heavily armed Fulani herdsmen who blocked the highway while kidnapping.

His abductors later called demanding N10m. Though the ransom was later reduced to N4m, the lot fell on the Nsukka legal luminary to move into the bush and rescue Alexander. This, he succeeded in doing after engaging another of his friend, to accompany him to the den of the kidnappers.

Tragically, as they were joyously returning home, calling friends and family members to share their joy, their excitement was cut short and turned into sorrow. A team of policemen who were on the trail of bandits that earlier raided some police stations and banks at Anyigba, a nearby town, accosted them and the legal practitioner who was driving his car was shot dead. Alexander, the kidnapped victim, who was at the back of the car when his uncle’s life was cut short, in this interview, gave vivid details of how the heart-wrenching incident happened. Excerpts:

How I was captured

“To commence my travel from Iheakpu-oka village to Anyigba on March 2, 2024, I boarded a vehicle going to Ejule from an Army checkpoint situated between Aloma and Ejule. Precisely, the village called Iboko. While on our way, we encountered heavily armed herdsmen who were stopping vehicles, shooting and kidnapping people.

They kidnapped everyone in the car (six persons), including the driver. And we were all taken into the bush. The incident happened around 6:20 PM that Saturday, and I was there till Monday morning when they began to request for ransom.

Ransom

Before my phone went off, the first relation that I could speak to over the phone was my cousin, Elias Ugwu, whose father is my father’s elder brother. I called him and told him the kidnappers were requesting for N10 million because, according to them, once an individual is from the Eastern part of the country, he or she must be wealthy.

I explained to them that I didn’t have money. They countered, saying if I didn’t have money, my relatives had.

Meanwhile, they collected a ransom of N130,000 from the driver’s family. Also, they collected N200,000 as ransom from the family of a first-year student at Kogi State University, KSU, who is from Ogugu, in Kogi State.

Shocked by the ransom that they (driver and student) were asked to pay, I asked why my case was different.

However, If anyone talked, they would beat the hell out of the person. They later reduced my ransom to N4million. I was given the privilege to communicate the ransom to my uncle, who informed all my relatives including Iheakpuoka community in Anyigba about their demand. When the money was finally raised, the kidnappers asked them to bring the ransom before they could rescue me.

Though my uncle was to come on Friday to pay the ransom and rescue me, he couldn’t make it. But when my captors finally called him at around 5 pm, he said he was at Ejule. The kidnappers then told him what to buy for them. They told him to buy Nkpurummiri (hard drug), water and N10,000 pack of energy drinks.

Around 7 pm on Friday, they called him, and he said he couldn’t come to Aloma at that time because he was not only old to embark on such journey at that time, he was also afraid. They, however, told him to sleep somewhere that they would tell him when and where to bring the ransom and the items the next day.

On Saturday morning, 9th of March, we started communicating with my uncle unknown to us that there was a bank robbery on Thursday in Anyigba, and this (his release) was happening on Saturday morning.

Rescue effort

So, the villagers who saw my uncle and his friend who were coming to rescue me, driving around, were the ones who called the police informing them that there is a vehicle that is roaming around the community through an escape road behind the university.

So, the policemen came and laid ambush. They parked their vehicle in the bush close to the road. When we were coming back, we saw a police vehicle packed distantly and we were happily approaching the vehicle. The next thing we heard was ‘stop’ and then the sound of gunshots and my brother was hit on his head. He lost control, so the vehicle veered into the bush. That was when one of the security people said they were police officers. I used a cloth to tie my uncle’s head because he was bleeding profusely. They tried to pull out the vehicle, but we could not. The police then used something to attach it to their Hilux to pull out the vehicle.

We already told them who we were, but it was already too late. They had finished searching the vehicle expecting to see a huge sum of money. The kind of clothes I wore made them realise that I was a victim of kidnap, they became tired. They took us to Maria Goretti Hospital in Anyigba.

Worried by the endemic cases of sexual and gender-based violence traced to unlawful marriages known in the local parlance as ‘aure leather’ the Gyel district of Jos South local government area of Plateau State has taken the lead in reducing the number of items required for the traditional marriage rite to enable young men to afford the cost and get married legally.

The gesture is also to give women the pride of place in their respective homes and ensure that disagreement over nonpayment of dowry does not degenerate into violence in the homes.

This is as a call is made for the curbing of indiscriminate mining which is said to contribute to the prevalence of alcoholism and sexual and gender-based violence in communities.

Speaking during a panel discussion organized by the Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection, WRAPA in commemoration of 2024 International Women’s Day for stakeholders from the Berom tribe in the State, the District Head of Gyel (a Berom enclave), Da Nga Dangyang through his Secretary, Rwas Jonathan pointed out ways that women inclusion are ensured in their community saying there is a bye law to ensure enforcement.

He said “The Gyel Traditional Council has developed a bye-law which gives women the opportunity to be in the traditional council, determine the type of punishments given to anyone who is involved in any form of violence, spells out ways to mitigate insecurity.

“The Council has reduced bride price to N30,000 because it was discovered the high rate of the bride prices were the cause of unlawful marriages and the reduction has swelled up the number of legitimate marriages in the District. The bye-law also says women who don’t work should be given a percentage of their husband’s salary.”

A Berom elder, Da Dauda Gyemang insisted that the rich culture of the Berom nation especially on family life is being eroded by indiscriminate mining activities which make very young people get quick money to indulge in alcoholism and early marriages.

His words, “One major activity going on on the Plateau now is illegal mining and very young people drop out of schools to engage in it. They get quick money without the capacity to utilize the money. They go into drinking and begin to cohabit in the name of marriage. This is very risky, some parents are even encouraging their children not to go to school but to go for this mining at the age of 10; 15 years, many of them go into drinking and marriage.

“So, as a man, he is always drunk and cannot even perform his duties as a man and when the girls don’t get the satisfaction they desire from their men, they get along with the available person that can meet their needs. When a man cannot perform and he sees his wife is not faithful, he vents the annoyance in the form of beating and other forms of violence.

“We have been advocating for organized mining with financial literacy so that the youths can be guided on how to make use of their money and even pay taxes to the government. When this is done, the rights of the men and the women would be protected as this organization is advocating.”

Earlier, the panellists, Dr Dachollom Jambol (Chairman of Berom Elders Forum), the Gwom Rim (Chief of Rim), HRH Gyang Dahoro, President of Berom Educational and Cultural Organisation, BECO, Da Gyang Dudu, President of Berom Youth Moulders Association, BYM, Barrister Solomon Mwantiri, and Chairman of Berom Districts Development Association, Da Silas Pwajok, moderated by Mr Steve Aluko denounced all forms of SGBV saying they are strange to the Berom culture.

The speakers commended the Gyel District for the initiative and reiterated that the Berom culture does not encourage domestic violence as there were laid down rules to checkmate such but blamed the negative impacts of civilization which alienate parental and community inputs in the choice of marriage partners and called for mentorship and discipline in society.

The State Coordinator of WRAPA, Mrs. Jummai Madaki noted that the event aimed at promoting women’s inclusion as a fundamental right and a smart approach that supports inclusive communities as a catalyst to development and has as its goal, the encouragement of men and boys to become key allies and actors in the fight against SGBV through community-based dialogue in a panel format.

In his remarks, Nanle Gujor, the Secretary of Plateau Initiative for Development and Advancement of the Natives, PIDAN, the umbrella body of all the indigenous Development Associations in the State, said the rest of the tribes and native Associations should emulate the Gyel District and reduce exorbitant bride prices. Rev. Christopher Damsher asked that religion and culture collaborate to find a balance in curbing SGBV.

Meanwhile, participants including people living with disabilities, the youths, women, and others condemned violence against women and girls, agreed to replicate the Gyel District bye-law in the whole of Berom land, asked that harmful traditional practices be abolished, and called for the upholding of traditional practices that promote community wellbeing.

Programme gulps N2trn in 21 years

21 years after senators and members of the House of Representatives forced the Executive to insert Special Intervention Projects (SIP), known as constituency projects, into the budget, it has been one problem after the other every year.

Constituency projects, which have a yearly budget of N100 billion, were established by the Obasanjo administration with the hope of bringing government closer to the people, especially those in the rural areas, just as it was not designed for lawmakers to determine directly what projects should go to their constituents or to be the ones who should provide contractors.

With this in mind, it was agreed that the Federal Government should set aside the huge sum of money to finance constituency projects and to ensure implementation through the Office of the Special Adviser on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in agreement with lawmakers.

N2 trillion spent

Records have it that at least N2 trillion has been spent on constituency projects from 2003 to date, even as Sunday Vanguard gathered that N95 billion and N100 billion had been allocated to the projects every year and shared among the 109 senators and 360 members of the House of Representatives.

In sharing the funds, however, they consider ranking like in the Senate where there are two presiding officers, the President of the Senate and the Deputy Senate President, and eight principal officers: Majority Leader; Deputy Leader; Chief Whip and Deputy Whip.

Others are Minority Leader; Deputy Minority Leader; Minority Whip and Deputy Minority Whip. All these get higher share than ordinary members. It could be N500 million multiplied by eight while presiding officers get higher than principal officers.

As gathered, while presiding and principal officers could get N500 million and above, no senator gets less than N200 million, especially those who have been around and not principal officers.

Question

Must senators be treated differently against the backdrop that they were all elected each to represent a senatorial district?

First, constituency project is not part of the roles assigned to lawmakers by the nation’s Constitution.

The constitutional mandate of the lawmaker is espoused around lawmaking, representation and oversight functions.
By way of expansion, other ancillary duties may be added but not constitutional.

Consequently, the lawmaker has no business engaging in project award or execution.
It’s the job of the Executive.

National Assembly members are constitutionally empowered to make laws for the country and to act as checks and balances on the Executive and not to execute constituency project.

One can assume that constituency project is a new convention but many have argued in this circumstance that it is organized fraud.

“Otherwise, how do you explain the disparities in the allocation of constituency projects?” a critic said.

Brick wall

Moves by the Senate to legalise constituency projects last year and to increase the vote from N100 billion yearly were jettisoned on the grounds that such venture will interfere with the provisions of Section 80 of the 1999 Constitution as Amended which vest the power of appropriations in the Legislature.

The contentious Bill, sponsored by Senator Babangida Hussaini (APC,Jigawa North-West), was stopped at plenary as it failed to move to second reading.

Hussaini had explained that constituency project is not peculiar to Nigeria as, according to him, it was an effective way of ensuring equitable distribution of development across the country.

He added that it helps to draw governance and dividends of democracy closer to the grassroots.

Bogus salaries, allowances

Recall that Senator Shehu Sani, who represented Kaduna Central in the 8th Senate, had, in March 2018, spoken about alleged bogus salaries and allowances of lawmakers when he revealed that every senator gets N13.5 million monthly as running costs and about N200 million as constituency vote.

According to him, implementation of constituency project is an avenue “for theft and corruption employed by lawmakers”.

Sani had said at that time: “I think what we can say is that the running cost of a senator is N13.5 million every month”. 

According to him, while there is no specific instruction on what the fund should be used for, lawmakers must provide receipts to back up their expenses from the running cost.

He added that the running cost is in addition to funds earmarked for each senator for constituency project.
“But what I am saying is that the money (N13.5 million per month) must be receipted for what you do with it. But what you are given to go and spend without accountability is N750, 000”, the senator said.

“The constituency project itself is given on a zonal basis and almost every senator will go with a constituency fund of about N200 million, but it is not the cash that is given to you.

“You will be told that you have N200 million with an agency of government for which you will now submit projects equivalent to that amount. And it is that agency of government that will go and do those projects for you.

“Now, corruption comes when the projects are not done and the money is taken. But right now, it is difficult to do that because NGOs and transparency groups have come into it. They track every allocation made to you and where they are being used. 

“So, it’s becoming difficult for what used to happen in the past to happen now. But I can tell you that I would love a situation where we do away with running cost, constituency projects and leave senators and members of House of Reps with salaries”.

Obasanjo, Buhari, Jonathan take positions

Obasanjo himself who started constituency project in 2023 once described it as nothing but corruption, saying, “You and I know what constituency project means, it is simply corruption.”

Former President Muhammadu Buhari echoed similar claim in 2019 when he said the impact of the trillions of Naira voted for constituency projects could hardly be seen in the lives of ordinary Nigerians.

On his part, former President Goodluck Jonathan had said “don’t put the goat where yam is because the goat will eat the yam” in apparent reference to corrupt acts dogging constituency projects.

N500m vs. N75m 

On Tuesday on the floor of the Senate, Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe (PDP, Cross River North) alleged that senior senators got N500 million each in the 2024 Budget for constituency projects while other senators got only N75 million.

Jarigbe’s claim was made during a session on the allegation made by another senator, Abubakar Ningi, that the 2024 Budget had been padded to the tune of N3.7 trillion.

Speaking during the rowdy session, Jarigbe said, “I thought that when the Chairman of Appropriations spoke, it was as clear as crystals that there was a misunderstanding of the figures.

“When he came up with the GOEs and all the agencies on first line charge, there is no difference between the figure he reeled out and the figure purported to be padded.

“I thought with that, the allegation would have been rested by Senator Ningi saying that this N3.7 trillion was not part of the budgetary provisions printed out for us. That would have settled this matter. 

“We are going forth and back on these issues and coming up with the issues of budget and individual issues concerning what came to our various constituencies.

“If we want to go into those issues, all of us are culpable. Some senators here, so-called senior senators, got N500 million each. I am a ranking senator, I didn’t get. Did I go to the press? Most of you got.”

Report

To buttress the claim that constituency projects for lawmakers were enmeshed in corruption, the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC, in April 2022, issued a report on how National Assembly members were diverting funds for constituency projects.

The ICPC alleged that senators diverted money meant for their senatorial districts to non-existing projects, thereby denying their constituents from reaping dividends of democracy. 

The anti-graft agency said it uncovered how the National Assembly illegally added N20 billion to N100 billion annual constituency projects.

The ICPC, in its ‘interim constituency and executive projects tracking report’, revealed how the National Assembly embedded additional projects into the 2021 mandate budget of MDAs, which, in a long way, affected budget performance, as well as distorted developmental planning and implementation of the 2021 fiscal year.

In the report, the ICPC cited other areas of infractions where lawmakers allegedly awarded contracts to themselves, children or to proxy companies.

The report read: “Budget insertion remains one of the egregious, yet illegally acceptable phenomenon that has distorted the nation’s developmental planning and implementation of developmental programmes.

“In addition to the N100 billion appropriated annually for constituency projects, the National Assembly embedded additional projects into mandate budgets of MDAs. This is done to increase the project portfolios of concerned legislators and their influence on MDAs. The value of the insertion was in billions. 

Duplication

“Analysing the 2021 National Budget alone across key sectors of education, water resources, health, power, science and technology, environment, works and agriculture, we found duplication to the tune of over N20 billion.”
The report pointed out that the “contract for the construction and renovation of blocks of the classroom at a University Staff School in Taraba executed by a company owned and operated directly by a lawmaker”, a project ICPC alleged was “haphazardly nominated, appropriated and executed in locations that have no need for such projects.”
In another development, ICPC alleged another contract infraction in the supplies of water rigs by a particular company to be executed in Taraba.

The commission alleged that “just two days after the award of the contract, ‘the said company’, wrote to the executing agency, Lower Benue River Basin Development Authority, informing it that it was involved in some sort of arrangements with its sister company in respect of the execution and requested that the contract sum should be paid into the bank account of the company owned by the sponsoring legislator.

“Funding was, therefore, made to the said company owned by the sponsoring legislator.”

Children

In the report, the ICPC revealed that it was able to track a contract for the supplies of 686 water pumping machines to Kebbi awarded to a particular company owned by the children of a lawmaker.

The report read: “Various other projects were awarded and executed in Kebbi by three other companies owned and operated by the biological children of the sponsor.” 

Similarly, the ICPC said that it was able to track the project for the supplies of 19 units of 500KVA transformer to Delta State, two of which “were stolen and sold by an aide of the sponsoring lawmaker, while one was found kept in a private house since 2018.

ICPC stated: “While the culprit is on the run, the lawmaker has agreed to an undertaking to purchase and deliver to the commission the two transformers”.

The commission also cited the project valued at N149m for the training and empowerment of women and youths in Abaji allegedly awarded to a relative of the sponsoring legislator.

It was also replicated in Katsina where the sponsor single-handedly executed the contract after which the project said to have been valued at N49m was changed from its form and devalued by the lawmaker.

In another case, the supply of tricycles to Rivers State was an empowerment project where the sponsor allegedly used one of her cronies as the contractor. 

ICPC alleged that “while the contract was never performed, the sum (N30m) was fully paid and shared”.

Projects cited on personal properties

The agency also revealed that some sponsoring legislators sometimes site projects on personal properties, which technically vests legal possession and ownership to them.

An example was cited of the diversion of funds for an agricultural empowerment project in Osun State to a training programme on cattle rearing and the actual supply of cattle.

The Bill of Quantities, BOQ, according to the ICPC report, indicated procurement and distribution of 250 cattle to beneficiaries.

The report said: “While the intended beneficiaries were trained, no cattle were given to them; instead the lawmaker established a private ranch using the cattle procured with government’s fund.” 

In Bayelsa, the commission alleged that the investigation led it to another youth empowerment scam carried out by the sponsoring lawmaker.

It alleged that some of the beneficiaries found in the list were randomly contacted, even as none of them acknowledged ever receiving any grant.

Rumble in the Senate over ‘N3. 7 trillion budget padding’

John Alechenu takes a look at what transpired during Tuesday’s plenary following the allegation that N3 trillion was inserted into the 2024 Appropriation Act.

“Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it” – George Santayana.

In the eye of the storm 

The 10th Senate under the leadership of Senator Godswill Akpabio was in the eye of the storm last week following allegation of impropriety surrounding the passage of the 2024 Appropriation Act.

The allegation was made by the erstwhile Chairman of the Northern Senators Forum (NSF), Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi South).

In an interview with the Hausa Service of the BBC, Ningi, among other things, alleged that two versions of the 2024 Budget were in operation and that a whopping N3.7 trillion could not be traced to any line item.

As is to be expected, the media and the general public feasted on the interview and fingers pointed in the direction of Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

Senators who felt the integrity of the Senate in particular and the National Assembly in general had been called to question plotted their revenge and prepared for a collective response. 

Many Nigerians were expecting Ningi to produce evidence to pull the plug on Akpabio and his fellow principal officers when plenary resumed on Tuesday.

The Senate President and his backers equally waited for the opportunity to put Ningi in his place after establishing the previous night that he acted alone.

This is not the first time allegations of budget padding were leveled against the leadership of the National Assembly.

Recall, in 2006, during the 8thNational Assembly, then-Chairman of the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee, Abdulmumuni Jibrin, after falling out with then-Speaker Yakubu Dogara, accused the House leadership of padding then-budget to the tune of N40billion.

Jibrin was referred to the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges; he refused to make an appearance. He was tried and convicted in absentia.

He was subsequently suspended from legislative duties for 180 days but was later pardoned and recalled before the expiration of 180 days.

Interest

Ningi’s allegation is the first of its kind in the Senate.

This, perhaps, partly explains the interest it generated.

The lawmaker, who is a ranking member as well as a leading member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), spiced his allegation with regional flavour when he also alleged that the 2024 Budget was skewed against the North.

Undeterred by a rebuttal issued by a presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, Ningi addressed the Senate Press Corps and insisted he had facts and figures to back his claim, adding for effect that threats of suspension do not scare him. 

The stage was thus set for what many considered a testy moment for the Akpabio Senate presidency.

Session

Despite pressures from some of his colleagues for an executive session, convinced that he had nothing to hide, the Senate President opted for an open session which was beamed live on television.

One thing was missing, Akpabio’s trademark banter with colleagues. It was no time for jibes, a lot was at stake. Tuesday’s proceedings were watched across the globe.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation, Solomon Olamilekan, was recognised to present his motion under matters of privilege, and the motion was duly seconded, several senators were given room to speak for and against.

The provocateur, Ningi, was given ample opportunity to defend himself, substantiate his claims, and even level more if he had. 

It was an anti-climax when he stood and recanted some of the things he was quoted to have said in the contentious interview.

He went on to say only he had details of the findings of the consultants hired by the Northern Senators Forum to review the budget.

After dramatizing and displaying a horde of files and documents, Ningi could not substantiate his allegation of padding or infraction in the budget; instead, he digressed and started talking about the number of aides appointed by the Senate President and his take-home pay. However, another matter stirred public debate.

Senator Agom Jaribe (PDP, Cross River), while contributing during the debate, alleged that some ranking senators received N500 million each for constituency projects while others were discriminated against.

The Senate descended into near chaos for almost 30 minutes before calm was restored. 

Sentiments

One thing was however clear: Different sentiments were whipped into the debate on the allegations but the Senate was united in doing what it felt was the right thing in accordance with its Standing Order.

Hence, the prayers of Olamilekan’s motion were amended and subsequently passed.

Ningi was suspended for three months.

The emptiness of Ningi’s allegations and the prompt response of the Senate to tame the misinformation have spared Akpabio from public ridicule because, since the National Assembly is becoming synonymous with budget padding, many people were expecting the Senate President’s political career to be nailed based on his colleague’s allegations.
But Akpabio scaled the hurdle and this has once more amplified the confidence of his colleagues in his ability to paddle the canoe of leadership in the Red Chamber.The submission by the Senate that Ningi had no case and was clearly on another mission was enunciated by the Senate Leader, Senator Michael Bamidele, who was blunt in his presentation.

Coup

Bamidele likened Ningi’s allegations to a failed civilian equivalent of a military coup.
He expressed the view that some senators were yet to put behind their electoral defeat in the race for top leadership positions hence the scheming to truncate Akpabio’s tenure. 

To his credit, the Senate President didn’t betray emotions as he allowed his colleagues express themselves during the session. Even when the session temporarily became rowdy, a practice which is common with democracies across the globe especially in the developing world, Akpabio stood up, cited Order 6. 3 of ‘The Senate Standing Orders 2015 (As Amended)’, which reads: “Whenever the President of the Senate or the Chairman rises during a debate, any Senator then speaking or offering to speak shall sit down, and the Senate or the Committee shall be silent so that the President of the Senate or the Chairman may be heard without interruption.”

The rule also empowers the Senate President to order the Sergeant-at-Arms to escort a senator out of the chamber if he/she chooses to be disruptive after this intervention.

It is worthy of note that Senator David Mark, as Senate President, invoked this rule only once in his eight years on the exalted chair.

Akpabio’s handling of the allegations of budget padding sent a message to watchers of the Senate that the era of using trumped-up charges to commence impeachment proceedings against presiding officers better known as the era of the infamous “banana peels” has been confined to the dustbin of history.

As a trained lawyer and firm believer in the rule of law, Akpabio allowed the Senate Rules to take their course in attending to Ningi’s allegations, which were ab initio dead on arrival. 

A former senator who represented Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, recalled how he was almost suspended during the 8th Senate for revealing his earnings and that of his fellow senators.

While reacting to Ningi’s suspension, he said all senators are equal in the eyes of the law but that this was not the case in reality. He told Sunday Vanguard there are written and unwritten laws and conventions senators are expected to abide by. He described suspension as a not too pleasant experience because it literally means “being shut out of the National Assembly and your legislative functions and denied your emoluments, rights and privileges for the period of the suspension”. He noted that, as a nation, we need to set out priorities right in order to move forward.

Akpabio as presiding officer of the 10th Senate didn’t mince words when he described the incalculable damage being done to the National Assembly as an institution each time allegations, which lack basis in fact, are made especially by fellow lawmakers whom he believes ought to know better. Nigerians are hoping that the 10thNational Assembly will grow beyond petty politics and settle down to making laws that will improve the security and welfare of citizens.