The
budget of the National Assembly for the year was slashed from N150 billion to
N120 billion. One of the key recommendations of the Senate Committee is that
the red chamber should make its records of finances open to Nigerians.
The
Committee was chaired by Senator James Manager.
It
was said to have recommended that, in line with the transparency and openness
promised by the Senate President in his inaugural speech, details of the
finances of the chamber should be made more transparent.
The
implication of the recommendation is that details of funds allocated to the
Senate, the budget heads and the rate of budget performance will become public
knowledge in addition to the breakdown of other funds available so that the
public can be aware.
But,
ahead of the Tuesday plenary, Sunday Vanguard learnt, at the weekend,
that there is a division among senators on whether to adopt the Committee’s
recommendation, and this may lead to rancour on the floor of the chamber.
Many
senators, particularly the ranking ones, are said to be opposed to opening up
of the finances of the Senate for public scrutiny as they argued that it was an
unnecessary concession and “mere public relations gimmick”.
Meanwhile,
the ‘pro openness’ lawmakers believe that making public the Senate finances is
a strong signal that it will be transparent in its financial dealings.
The
‘anti-openness’ senators, it was understood, explained that legislature’s funds
are on first line charge which precludes it from any form of control by any
executive body or agency, just like the funds budgeted for the
judiciary. They further argued that the present position has been maintained
since 1999 and it does not contradict any law. So, they wondered
why the need to change a stable process.
The
group noted that the Senate would not achieve anything by opening up its
financial books for public scrutiny and that the gesture will not change the
position and perception of the public that the legislature is a ‘money
guzzler’.
“What
we need to do is to be more efficient In our legislative duties, particularly
the lawmaking and oversight functions. We should also avoid any form of
financial scandal or recklessness. All these university student radicalism is
not feasible and will not work. It will not only be counter-productive, it may
also backfire”, a second term senator said while opposing the position of the
Committee.
The
Adhoc Committee , which had ranking Senators Ahmed Sani Yerima as a member,
among others, also had younger lawmakers like Dino Melaye and Shehu Sani.
The Committee’s work took longer time than earlier allocated in order to
balance the views of the various tendencies and came out with a report
that is believed to have the possibility of further endearing the
Senate to the public.
One
of the Like Minds senators, one of the two groups that emerged in the
Senate in the wake of the leadership crisis (the other being Unity Forum), who
spoke on condition of anonymity, explained why the Tuesday plenary may be
turbulent. He said: “The Senate President has said it several times to
the national and international audiences that the eighth Senate will be
transparent, open and comply with international best practices.
“The
need to be open and let our financial facts and figures be known to all has
become a creed between us and the public. That is one of the new things that
will set the eighth Senate apart from the others. We will support our President
to achieve this”.
Sources
disclosed that the ‘pro-openness’ senators also argued that the
recommendation is one of the strongest signals the legislative body can send to
the international community, civil society groups and ordinary
people that it is ready to do things differently.
“The
entire world has bought into the change agenda and one of the key
areas of the change agenda is this anti-corruption campaign. You cannot fight
corruption except you open up the financial process. We cannot afford to renege
on the promise we made from the beginning. How can we conduct oversight
investigation on others if we do not start from our own home? This report is
our opportunity to convince the world that the positive change we canvass
starts from us”, another of the Like Minds senators told Sunday Vanguard.
Saraki
was said to have been put under pressure by both groups and it was not clear
what the Senate President will decide. Sources claimed the groups spent most of
the weekend consulting “because the issue of money is a delicate
one”.
Senate
watchers believe it is in the interest of the Senate for all of them to be on
the same page on the issue, particularly, since it will serve common goal. The
issue of a more transparent financial process featured prominently in
discussions that Saraki and other senators had with some foreign envoys and
other groups that had paid courtesy visit on the Senate leadership since June 9
when the legislative body was inaugurated.
In
the meantime, Melaye, who is the Chairman, Senate Ad-hoc Committee on
Information and Publicity, last night, said the decision on the Committee on
Finance report will be based on the wish of the majority of senators.
To
him, democracy is a game of numbers. According to him, while the minority will
have its say, the majority would have its way.
“The
report is ready and submitted and, when it comes up for deliberation, the
session will not be stormy. Democracy is a game of numbers; the minority
will have its say, and the majority its way.”
Vanguard
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