Reps Will Block Revenue Leakages From MDAs, Dogara Vows

Describes His Speakership As Compensation To Bauchi 

SPEAKER of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara has expressed the determination of the lower legislative chamber under his leadership to strengthen legislations that would block revenue leakages from Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs).

Speaking on Thursday when he received the draft 8th Assembly Legislative Agenda from the Committee of Members and Experts chaired by C. J. Osman, which he recently commissioned for the assignment, Dogara decried the situation whereby revenue generating MDAs hide under the cover of the laws establishing them to withhold monies they generate.

“There is the need to review those laws in order to plug the leakages because most of them do under declare their earnings,” Dogara said.

He disclosed that the parliament would debate the new legislative agenda when the House resumes next week with the issue of revenue leakages at the front burner during the session.

This is as Dogara has described his emergence as the Speaker of the House of Representatives as God’s compensation to his state, Bauchi, for the sundry sacrifices made by the late Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and other past leaders from the state for the sake of Nigeria.

Dogara stated this while receiving a delegation from Bauchi on a courtesy on Thursday in Abuja led by the Deputy Governor, Engr. Nuhu Gidado. According to him, “our emergence is not in vain.

It is like God saying this time around, let me compensate Bauchi State for the sacrifices of our forefathers.” Dogara harped on the need to review the laws in order to plug the leakages, noting that most of the MDAs under declare their earnings even though some laws allow them to retain certain percentage of the revenue they generate.

He further advocated for prudent management of the nation’s foreign reserve in such a manner that interest accrued are declared by the foreign fund managers which may be running into hundreds of millions of dollars.

According to him, another key aspect that would be debated is the issue of donor funding with some of the committee members noting that between 10 to 17 per cent of some ministries’ budgets are funded through foreign aids.

The committee said in most cases, the funds were neither reflected in the yearly Appropriation Bill nor declared by the affected ministries and departments.

Amongst other things, the draft legislative agenda proposes the restructuring of the House Standing Committees, introduction of sectorial debate and the conduct of legislative needs assessment of the House of Representatives by experts. “As early as next week, we will debate the legislative agenda and adopt the final version,” the Speaker said.