ABUJA (Sundiata Post) – In what appeared to be a U-turn, the Senate on Wednesday admitted that the 2016 Appropriation Bill (Budget of Change) was no longer in its custody.
This is even as constituencies are already asking questions on the whereabouts of their budget.
Following the latest turn of events, the Senate has temporarily suspended any debate on the ‘missing Budget of Change’ pending when those that were given the assignment on the matter report back to the upper legislative chamber.
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But the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, made an attempt earlier at the plenary to cover up the issue of the ‘missing Budget of Change’ by announcing that the Red Chamber would commence debates on the 2016 Budget proposal from next Tuesday, January 19 to Thursday, January 21.
Towards the end of the plenary, however, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, who felt that the ‘missing Budget of Change’ issue would not be visited, raised a Point of Order.
Coming under Order 42(1) of the Senate Standing Orders 2015 (As Amended), Abaribe wondered how the issue of the ‘missing Budget of Change’, which was discussed during the closed-door session of the senators on Tuesday later became public.
The Order, which is under ‘Matter of Urgent Public Importance’, states that: “The matter for discussion shall, if possible, be referred to the President of the Senate before commencement of the day’s sitting and the President of the Senate shall refuse to allow the claim unless he is satisfied that the matter is definite and urgent”.
Abaribe explained on the floor that many people from his constituency have been calling him on the Budget that has disappeared from the National Assembly.
“The matter that I refer to is what is in every newspaper today (yesterday), everywhere, in all the talk shows in the radio of a missing Budget.
“Therefore, Mr. President, I want to bring to your attention and all my colleagues that yesterday (Tuesday) in our closed-door session, this matter also came up, and some of us, who are worried, who have been inundated by messages from our constituents, who are really worried about what their fate will be in 2016, are asking us: where is our budget?
“That is why, Mr. President, I think it is definite, and it is urgent that we look into this matter,” Abaribe stressed.
Saraki, who said he would have over-ruled Abaribe on the Point of Order, explained that he changed his mind due to the important nature of the matter.
He, therefore, said that any debate on the ‘missing’ budget had to wait till those given the assignment on the matter report back to the Senate.
“Because of the importance of this, I will (give) an exception. You know we are all part of the decision at the closed-door session yesterday (Tuesday) and part of that decision. We are still waiting for those we have referred to carry out the assignment to come back to us.
“I think they will come back to us by tomorrow (Thursday). I think they will come back to us by tomorrow, and we will go into a closed session and finish up the report, and we will be able to debate it properly,” Saraki promised.
The search team for the ‘missing Budget of Change’ is headed by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Muhammad Danjuma Goje.
Earlier at the plenary, Saraki called on his colleagues, who intended to make contributions on various areas of the budget proposal, should indicate interest before the consideration of the debate would commence through his office.
Saraki said that copies of the Draft Budget would be made available to lawmakers at today’s Plenary to enable them go through before the debate.
Reacting to the latest development, after the plenary the Senate Majority Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, maintained that the issue of ‘missing’ budget is dead.
“The subject of this discussion is that you people are saying the budget is missing, or are insisting that the budget is missing. Who told you? I’m standing before you here and I’m telling you that I did not say that.
“And what we discussed at the closed-door session remains closed as we speak. So, if any senator comes out to tell you that I said the budget is missing, I think the responsibility is on you to say who told you that I said the budget is missing.
“You were at the gallery today (Wednesday), where the presiding officer (Saraki) clearly stated that the budget will be distributed, and debate on the Budget will begin next week. And that senators that are interested should go to the front table and put their names, indicating the date that they want to contribute at Second Reading. So, this issue of Budget missing or not missing is dead. But you people don’t want to conduct the funeral. So, what can I do?” he asked rhetorically.
Ndume’s position was different from Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, who, while fielding questions, maintained that the document is still at large.
He, however, hinted that the Senate’s investigation on the issue is at its concluding stage.
“The document is missing. We want to find out. We have interviewed some people so far this morning. We are continuing in the next few minutes with out investigation.
“And we are almost at it. We will conclude in the next few hours because we have already known what is happening,” Nwaoboshi said.
