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More Confusion In The Senate Over ‘Missing’ Or ‘Fake’ Budget

By Bridget Chiedu Onochie, Abuja
16 January 2016   |   3:33 am
CONFUSION and more confusion has continue to trail attempts by the Senate to refute allegations surrounding the controversial ‘disappearance’ of this year’s ‘supposed’ N6.08trillion budget proposal brought and laid before the joint sitting of the National Assembly in December shortly before the legislators went on Christmas break. After and despite initial denials over the real…
Buhari

Buhari

CONFUSION and more confusion has continue to trail attempts by the Senate to refute allegations surrounding the controversial ‘disappearance’ of this year’s ‘supposed’ N6.08trillion budget proposal brought and laid before the joint sitting of the National Assembly in December shortly before the legislators went on Christmas break.

After and despite initial denials over the real situation with the authentic budget proposal document, the Senate on Thursday came up with an entirely different position on the matter- that a fake version was circulated by the Presidency.

It had earlier the previous day confirmed the allegation by setting up a search team to unravel circumstances surrounding the alleged ‘disappearance’ of the document.

It was surprising, therefore, when it rose from its closed-door session on Thursday to inform the press that it was no longer ‘missing,’ rather, a version different from what the President laid was circulated by his Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang.

However, shortly after (perhaps following public outcry over some outrageous figures on certain frivolous expenses by the Presidency in the document, there was an attempt to expunge some items before the Senate debate begins), rumours of withdrawal or the document missing were rife, an allegation the Presidency attempted to manage.

Enang

Enang

An unconfirmed source had earlier told The Guardian that the President did not actually lay the document, but had read a portion that was drafted for that ceremonial purpose.

The idea was to douse tension among Nigerians, who expected him to be on the fast lane to save the country from the prevailing economic crunch.

Meanwhile, another source stated that the President was taken aback my media reports chronicling some unbelievable expenses smuggled into the budget without his knowledge.

It, however, appeared that those behind the outcry were certain and bent on exposing the illegality perpetuated between the Senate and the Presidency, as the news of the missing budget document persisted in the media.

In the House of Representatives, Speaker Yakubu Dogara had exonerated the House, stressing that all was well with the House as far as the budget document was concerned.

According to him, photocopies were already being circulated to members in readiness for debate next week.

The issue, however, took a dramatic turn on Thursday when Senate President Bukola Saraki, identified the Presidency as the main culprit.

According to him, it was discovered that the photocopy produced by the Presidency was doctored and different from what was laid.

This resolution on how to manage the crises was perhaps reached at the two-hour closed session, where the search committee was expected to submit its investigative report.

Speaking after the executive session, Saraki stated that the committee set up on Tuesday to carry out investigations on controversies surrounding the Appropriation Bill had indicted Enang for circulating fake copies of the budget document, as against the original copy laid by the President.

He said: “We have received the report of the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions on investigations surrounding 2016 Appropriation Bill.

“Our finding is that Senator Ita Enang, the SSA to the President on NASS Matters, printed copies on the 2016 Appropriation Bill and brought to the Senate from where we discovered that what he brought is different from the version presented by Mr. President.

“We have resolved to consider only the version presented by Mr. President as soon as we receive soft copy of the original document from the Executive.”

Senate Spokesman, Senator Aliyu Sabi (APC, Niger North), told journalists afterwards that with the committee’s discovery, it was evident that the document was not missing, but only doctored.

He added that the senate, at the closed door session, resolved not to consider the fake document put in circulation by Enang, but to prevail on the Presidency to provide the soft copy, with which to make their copies from the original version presented to the National Assembly by Buhari in December last year.

“The senate, in carrying out that resolution, was already putting machinery on ground at getting across to the Presidency directly for the soft copy of his presentation for duplication to all senators ahead of general debate on it next week.

“The report about a missing budget is not true; we do not have a budget that is missing. But you recall that the Senate President did inform Nigerians that there is an issue that a committee was asked to investigate.

“The investigation by the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions has been submitted in the executive session. It was a decision we took at the last executive session.

“Our findings are these: That Mr. President did lay the budget before the joint session of the National Assembly and thereafter, the senate went on recess and upon resumption, copies of the document were produced by Enang and the copies were submitted to the senate and House of Representatives.

“What we found out is that the document submitted by Enang upon our resumption has some differences, discrepancies from what was originally laid by Mr. President in the joint sitting of the National Assembly.

“However, the senate, in defence of its own integrity and honour, will not work with what has not been laid on the floor of the National Assembly. We are constitutionally mandated and duty bound to consider only that budget that had been so laid by Mr. President.”

He continued: “Right now, for reproduction, we are awaiting the soft copy of the originally submitted budget, so that the National Assembly can reproduce the copy itself.

“That is the only time we can have confidence in the document we want to work with.”

Sabi, however, declined comment on the claims by the House that it had its own original version of the document on the ground that he was not to speak for the House.

He also did not disclose areas of difference between the original and the doctored copy, claiming and confirming once more that the senate may actually not be in possession of the original copy as at the time.

Hear him: “I am not in the position to say the differences between the document submitted by the President and the one brought by Enang.

“The committee that investigated the issue did not include that in their report.”

Efforts by journalists to get Enang’s reaction on allegation of forgery leveled against him by the senate proved abortive, as he chose not to join issues with them.

“The senators, like the President, are my bosses and I will not like to join issues with them, particularly on this 2016 budget document controversy,” he declared.

How they tend to manage the situation and move ahead to pass the budget in the interest of Nigerians remains uncertain.

Obviously, that only the senate and Presidency more explaining to do in this matter and only the truth, the whole truth, can set the records straight and restore public confidence in the executive and legislature.

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