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Legislature

Audit Query: Reps Cttee Grills Minister, officials over excessive Loss of revenue

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***Also for Non Redition of Audited Account, expenditure of Service Wide Vote

***As minister claims ignorance, begs for more time

The Public Account Committee (PAC), of the House of Representatives on Monday grilled the Minister of
of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Niyi Adebayo along with Heads of Parastatals and top officials of the Ministry on several queries from the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation.
The queries were on issues ranging from issuance of capital allowances to several companies without proper documentation to back them up, non return of audited accounts to expenditure from Service Vide Vote from 2013 to date.

In his opening remarks, the Chairman of the Committee, Hon Oluwole Oke ( PDP-Osun) explained to the Minister that before the coming of the Finance Act, only Permanent Secretaries were being invited to answer such queries, adding that with the coming into effect of the 2020 Finance Act, invitations are now being extended to Ministers.

He explained that the mission of the Committee was to bring Head of agencies under the Ministry that have refused over time to respond to invitation to come and answer to queries from the Auditor General, but rather consistently give one excuse or the other for their failure honour such invitations

According to him, “These people are appointees of the President through your office. By the provisions of the constitution, the President has often come to the National Assembly and yet, his appointees refused to come.
“If they cannot do the job they are asked to do, they should resign because there are those ready to do the job.

“We did not want to get to the level of issuing warrant of arrest for the Heads of agencies. We felt that if we invite you and ask you to come with them, they will respect you and come. We were right, today, they are here with you.

“We want them to come and explain to the Nigerian people how they spent public resources in their disposal. Is that too much to ask?
“If the President will come to the parliament, why wont his appointees? It is for accountability and transparency, the Parliament is not after anyone, even as you are here today physically, the Director General of the Standard Organization of Nigeria, (SON), is still not here, he has been avoiding the Committee, he has always been seeking for an extension of time for our invitations”

The Minister however appealed to the Committee to give him and his team more time to fine tune their documents and come back to them for proper defence of the audit queries.

He stated that the issues raised in the queries were just being brought to his notice at the hearing, stressing that he would need time to sit with his offficials and the Permanent Secretary to prepare a more comprehensive answer to the queries.

The Minister assured that he would personally come back to the Committee with the Permanent secretary for the presentation which the Committee obliged him in the spirit of fair heating

In the documents presented before the Committee, it revealed that the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment had issued about 4,672 certificate of capital allowance worth about N7,865,186,245,398.81 to 2, 203 companies between January 2017 and December 2021.

The documents also revealed that within the same period the Ministry recorded what they described as disallowance (finding after an audit that a business or individual taxpayer was not entitled to a deduction or other tax benefit claimed on a tax return) of N101.553 billion.

Capital Allowance is the practice of allowing a tax payer to get tax relief on capital expenditure by allowing it to be deducted against their annual taxable income.

It is akin to a tax deductible expenses and are available in respect of qualifying capital expenditure incurred on the provision of certain assets in use for the purposes of a trade or rental services and effectively allow a tax payer to write off the cost of an asset over a period of time.

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Legislature

Senator Ningi resumes from suspension

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After staying away for 75days out of 90 days suspension slammed on him by the Senate on March 12, 2024, Senator Abdul Ningi ( PDP Bauchi Central), formally resumed legislative activities at the Senate on Tuesday in plenary.

On the strength of motion sponsored by the minority leader Senator Abba Moro on behalf of minority caucus, the Senate recalled Senator Ningi from the three months suspension
Recall that Senator Ningi was suspended by the Senate at the committee of the whole on 2024 budget padding allegation leveled against the Senate during interview he had with the BBC Hausa service.
The Senate had recalled the Lawmaker representing Bauchi Central, Abdul Ningi after 2 Months and two weeks of the 3months suspension slammed on him over his interview in which he alleged padding of the 2024 N28. 7tn budget.

The lawmaker was suspended on the 12th of March, 2023 for three months, but the Senate on Tuesday unanimously resolved to  recall their colleague from suspension.

Recall that, Senator Olamilekan Adeola had come under Orders 9, 10, 41, and 51 to move a motion of privilege and issue of national importance against Ningi over his interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (Hausa Service).

Ningi had, in the interview alleged that the budget passed by the National Assembly for the 2024 fiscal year is N25tn while the one being implemented by the Presidency is N28.7tn. 

The motion, for the unconditional recall of Senator Abdul Ningi was sponsored by the minority leader Senator Abba Moro, Senator Olalere Oyewumi and Senator Osita Ngwu.

Apparently elated to be back in the Senate, Senator Ningi was among the first set of Senators and House of Representatives members to arrive the National Assembly for plenary on Tuesday

Senator Ningi who along with some few other Senators like Suleiman Kawu ( NNPP Kano South), Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (PDP Sokoto South) etc , came into the National Assembly through the Villa Gate, arrived exactly at 10: 40am, 20minutes to 11:00am fixed for commencement of plenary which even started at about 12:10 pm .

Following his suspension , Senator Ningi lost his Chairmanship position of the Senate Committee on National Identity and Population, which was allocated to Senator Mustapha Musa (APC Yobe East), two days after the now lifted suspension

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Minimum Wage: Senate tackles Labour over National Grid Shutdown, disruption of Hajj flight

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**Resolves to use legislation to prevent reoccurrence
The Senate on Tuesday expressed displeasure at some of the excesses by some members of Nigeria Labour Congress ( NLC) and Trade Union Congress ( TUC) during the nationwide strike for new minimum wage on Monday.
The upper legislative chamber declared that the shut down of the National Grid and the disruption of Hajj flight by some labour unionists were more of economic sabotage than agitation for new minimum wage.
It consequently declared that such situation would not be allowed to re – occur as laws against it would be reflected in the new national minimum wage Act that would be enacted soon after submission of bill to that effect by the executive.
Senate’s grouse against the alleged excesses of labour unionists during the now suspended nationwide strike, came through a motion on the strike action and new minimum wage by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Labour, Senator Diket Plang (APC Plateau Central).

Senator Plang had in the motion, requested the Senate to call on the federal government to expedite action on new minimum wage as a way of stopping the industrial unrest which was however overtaken by sudden suspension of the strike by labour.
But in his remarks, the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio said though it was heartwarming that the strike has been suspended but the excesses by some labour unionists need to be condemned
“One of such excesses, was the shut down of the National Grid which is more of an economic sabotage than agitation for new minimum wage.
“Disruption of Hajj flight by some other labour unionists as said by the Deputy President of the Senate, is also not palatable being a religious exercise.
“Also, disruption or prevention of students from writing their West African School Certificate Examination by some labour unionists during the strike was bad because the examination is not organized by Nigeria but West African Countries “, he said.
He added that such actions would not be allowed to be repeated as required laws against them, would be reflected in the new National Minimum Wage Bill expected from the executive very soon.
He,however commended the labour unions for calling off the strike
“I want to thank the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress for listening to the voice of Nigerians and the international community by calling off the strike to enable negotiations to continue and we wish them well in the negotiations.
“On our part, we will continue to do our best by making contributions and at the same time awaiting the incoming Bill on Minimum Wage for us to enact for the benefit of all Nigerians”, he said .

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Legislature

Senate approves Bill to change National anthem to “Nigeria, We Hail thee”

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**Counters AGF, insists Bill does not need wider consultation

The Senate on Tuesday approved a Bill to change the current National anthem titled “Arise O Compatriots ” to the old national anthem “Nigeria, we Hail thee”.
Following the consideration of the report of its Committees on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, and Federal Character, and Inter governmen Affairs on Tuesday, the Senate passed the bill entitled, “National Anthem Bill, 2024” for third reading.

The Senate passed the bill amidst stakeholders misgivings, including Lateef Fagbemi, the Auditor-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice against hasty passage and the need for a wider consultation.
The bill was read for the first and second time last week Thursday at the Senate. It also received an accelerated hearing at the lower house as it was read for the first, second and third time.

The Bill will be transmitted to President Bola Tinubu for assent. If signed into law, it will be the first time Nigeria’s national anthem will be given legal backing.
Mongu nu Tahir, the Senator representing Borno North, while presenting the report of the Committee during plenary informed that the Bill seeks to give a legal framework to the national anthem “so that it can bite and bite with all the legal powers embedded in it.”

He clarified that the Bill, despite the concerns raised by the AGF does not need to be subjected to a wider process of citizen participation through zonal public hearings, resolutions of the Federal Executive Council, Council of State, National and State Assemblies, etc.
He insisted that the Bill is an ordinary Bill, not a constitutional amendment and only requires it to be read first, second and third time after a public hearing.
Presenting the committees report, Monguno however said that the new national anthem is apt as it represents the country’s people, culture, values and aspirations.
“The bill is in tandem with the spirit of unity. It will undoubtedly inspire a zeal for patriotism and cooperation. It will promote cultural heritage. Changing the national anthem will chart a path to greater unity”, Tahir said.
He then recommended that the bill be passed. The Senate then resolved to the committee of the whole to consider the report. After which, Godswill Akpabio, the Senate President put the bill to a voice vote and lawmakers supported it.
The Senate president also noted that the AFG is not a lawmaker and does not have a full understanding of how Bill’s are passed.
The bill was consequently read for the third time and passed.

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