Ghetto republic !! Budget alteration: SERAP asks Buhari to sue n’assembly for ‘crimes against humanity’

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has accused the national assembly of committing “crimes against humanity” by altering various allocations in the 2018 budget.

While signing the budget on Wednesday, Buhari revealed that the lawmakers added 6,403 projects of their own to the 2018 budget proposal he sent to them.

“The national assembly made cuts amounting to N347 billion in the allocations to 4,700 projects submitted to them for consideration and introduced 6,403 projects of their own amounting to N578 billion,” he had said.

“Many of the projects cut are critical and may be difficult, if not impossible, to implement with the reduced allocation. Some of the new projects inserted by the national assembly have not been properly conceptualised, designed and costed and will, therefore, be difficult to execute.”

In a statement on Thursday, SERAP asked Buhari to “drag the lawmakers to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for prosecution over crimes against humanity”.

“The deliberate and systematic acts of alleged budget padding and cutting of funding by the lawmakers coupled with the widespread negative consequences of such acts for millions of Nigerians across the country point to not only allegations of corruption but also crimes against humanity, that is, deliberately withholding access of Nigerians to essential and life-saving public services, which can be tried at the International Criminal Court,” the statement signed by Timothy Adewale, SERAP’s deputy director, read.

“Apart from pursuing a possible crime against humanity prosecution before the ICC, President Buhari should also move swiftly to enforce the judgement delivered last month by Justice Mohammed Idris in Suit No: FHC/L/CS/1821/2017, ordering the president to ask anti-corruption agencies to forward to him reports of their investigations into allegations of padding and stealing of some N481 billion from the 2016 budget, and to ensure effort prosecution of suspects.”

SERAP added that it is the failure to address allegations of padding of the 2016 budget that has “allowed the practice to continue with almost absolute impunity.”

“Combating impunity of lawmakers for allegations of budget padding is important for ending the practice and deterring future lawmakers from using their legislative functions as a weapon for promoting personal gains and denying Nigerians access to critical and life-saving public services,” it said. - Cable Nigeria

SHAME! N’assembly cuts Unity Schools’ budget by N3bn — despite high insecurity

The national assembly slashed the allocation for security infrastructure in the 104 Unity Schools across the country by N3 billion — despite the security challenge plaguing these schools.

Schools, particularly in the northern part of the country, have been attacked by Boko Haram insurgents, with students killed and kidnapped.

On February 25, 2014, suspected Boko Haram insurgents invaded Federal Government College, Buni Yadi in Yobe state, killing 58 students and setting all the 24 buildings there on fire.

When TheCable visited the school four months ago, it observed that the institution was still in ruins. Government needs to invest heavily in the school to put it back in shape.

Infrastructure is also a major challenge in schools. Between February and March 2017, three students of Queen’s College, Yaba, Lagos, died after consuming water from a contaminated source. Some of the hostels in the school also need upgrading.

An undercover investigation by TheCable in October 2017, exposed the parlous state of Federal Government Girls College (FGGC), Langtang, Plateau state. A reporter gained access to some hostels through an unfenced part of the school. Toilets, kitchen, dinning room and hostels were in a pitiable state.

These are just few examples of the infrastructural decay across schools in the country and these issues are out in the open, meaning national assembly members who reduced the budget instead of jerking it up, are aware of the challenges.

Lamenting over the action of the lawmakers while signing the budget into law on Wednesday, President Muhammadu Buhari said: “The provision for security infrastructure in the 104 Unity Schools across the country, cut by 3 billion Naira at a time when securing Nigerian students against acts of terrorism ought to be a major concern of government.”

Sadly, the lawmakers increased their own budget by N14.5 billion, from N125 billion to N139.5 billion. They also  introduced 6,403 projects “of their own” into the budget, according to the president.

Buhari said he approved it despite the alterations in order to avoid “putting the economy on standstill”.

Responding to the comments of the president, the house of representatives said the action of the national assembly was justifiable.

“That the budget is usually a proposal by the executive to the national assembly, which the latter is given the constitutional power of appropriation to alter, make additions, costs or reduce as it may deem necessary. The legislature is not expected to be a rubber-stamp by simply approving the Executive proposals and returning the budget to Mr. President. Therefore, the additions Mr. President complained of in his speech are justifiable,” Abdulrazak Namdas, spokesman of the lower legislative chamber, had said in a statement.

Criticisms have trailed the alterations made to the budget, with Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) describing the 8th national assembly as the worst in the history of the nation. - Cable Nigeria

Delta : Housewife bathes hubby with acid over alleged infidelity

An Angry housewife, Abigail Okolie in Ilah community, Oshimili North local government area of Delta, on Tuesday night allegedly bathed her husband with acid.

It was gathered that Abigail had been at loggers head with the husband before the dastardly act over his activities with women, especially commercial sex workers, and had allegedly threatened to put an end to it

Family sources said Abigail, a mother of three children, had been the bread winner of the house after the husband was relieved of his Job in one of the oil companies in Kwale.

It was gathered that Abigail does multiple jobs, including farm works to keep her home, and often boasted in the midst of her fellow women that she can’t allow a man to cheat on her and go free.

However, the victim was said to have on penultimate Monday taken a loan of N20,000 from his unsuspecting wife, and allegedly dashed into Asaba where he was caught with a commercial sex worker.

Speaking to DAILY POST, the police commissioner in the state, Mr. Muhammad Mustafa confirmed that the suspect was undergoing interrogation, adding that she had made useful statements to the police.

He added that she will be charged to court on completion of investigation

He said that the victim was moved to UBTH Benin city, Edo state where he is currently being treated. - Daily Post

Man rapes year-old daughter in Lagos

The Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court has remanded a 36-year-old father, Olaitan Adewoye,​ ​in Kirikiri Prisons for allegedly defiling his one-​year​-​old daughter,

The businessman, who resides at No. 10, Arogundade St., Harmony Estate, Oke-Iran Nla, Ajah in Lagos, is being tried for child defilement.

The Police Prosecutor​,​ Christopher John told the court that the accused committed the offence on May 17 at his residence.

John alleged that the accused defiled his own daughter of about one​ ​year old​,​ when the mother left the child with him in the room.

“The mother, while bathing the girl, noticed that she usually cry anytime she washes her private parts.

“She decided to take her to hospital for a medical check-up and it was at the hospital that the child was confirmed to have been defiled.

“The child’s mother said it was only the father she left the girl with when she went to buy something.

“The case was reported at the police station and the father of the baby was arrested for questioning​.​’’

The offence ​​contravened Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The Chief Magistrate, Mr P. E. Nwaka, directed that the case file should be sent to the State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice. - Daily Post

Man docked for setting neighbor’s home ablaze

A 37-year-old man, Oshajare Ohutimi, was on Thursday docked before a Kubwa Grade 1 Area Court, Abuja, for allegedly setting his neighbor’s home alight.

Ohutimi, who resides in Kubwa, Abuja, is being tried for mischief.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The prosecutor, Babajide Olanipekun, told the court that one Peter Ezemba reported the matter at the Kubwa Police Station on June 17.

Olanipekun said that the accused committed the offence when the complainant was not at home.

He said that the accused set the home on fire through the ceiling.

Olanipekun said the defendant did so, with the intent to cause damage to the complainant’s property, adding that the offence contravened the provisions of Section 336 of the Penal Code.

The prosecutor told the court that the accused lives in the same premises with the complainant and could commit the same offence if granted bail.

He pleaded that if the court must grant the accused bail, it should be on stringent conditions.

The defence counsel, Moses Ugwummadu, urged the court to disregard the prosecution’s claim because his client would provide a reliable surety if bail was granted.

The judge, Abdulwahab Mohammed, granted the defendant N300, 000 bail with a reliable surety in like sum.

He said that the surety must be well known where he resides.

He also ordered that the accused should write an undertaking to maintain peace pending the determination of the case.

Mohammed adjourned the matter until Aug. 20 for hearing. 

SAD ! Jealous lover sets rival ablaze

Competition for the attention of a woman have led a 45 year old man identified as Baba Mohammed to set his rival ablaze in Niger state for refusing to leave his lover.

Mohammed who is from Edo Baba village in Lavun Local Government Area of the state is currently cooling his heels in police custody after setting ablaze Usman Tetengi, who he accused made advances to the  woman he wants to marry.

The Suspect had warned the victim to stop seeing the  woman he had proposed to marry, but the victim did not heed to his warning.

Mohammed confessed that he resorted to the crime because all pleading have proved to no avail declaring that he did not regret his action.

“I am not regretting my action because if I did not kill him at that particular time, he would have killed me, so let him go in his next world he will not join issues with me again.

“I am not married, I do not care where this case will get to, the most important thing was that I have closed his chapter and stopped him from troubling my life. There are other women in our community but he choose to be making advances to the woman I have proposed to marry. No, he has paid dearly to it, it suits him well.”

The Command Public Relations Officer, Muhammad Abubakar explained that the suspect sent a boy,  Abdul to buy three litres of fuel which he used in setting the victim ablaze.

Abubakar said that the victim was rushed to Federal Medical Centre FMC Bida and was  later referred to  Gwagwalada hospital, Abuja where he was receiving treatment until death adding that the matter would be charged to court on conclusion of investigation. - The Nation

Jungle system ! Buhari signs Budget 2018 despite N578b injection

It was supposed to be a lively ceremony, but yesterday’s budget signing at the Presidential Villa was sober.

President Muhammadu Buhari signed Budget 2018 into law — reluctantly.

The ceremony ought to have held in January as envisaged when the President  submitted the proposals to the National Assembly on November 7, last year.

He told the lawmakers of his desire to return the country to the January – December budget cycle and solicited for their cooperation, but the budget was passed just last month. The bill was transmitted to the President on May 25. It was passed on May 16.

The lawmakers raised the total expenditure profile by N578 billion— from N8.6 trillion to N9.1 trillion.

The President said he signed the document because he had no choice going by the comprehensive alterations made by the lawmakers.

Senate President Bukola Saraki and House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara were absent.

Deputy Senate Leader Ibn Na’Alla and House Chief Whip Ado Doguwa stood in for them.

The President noted that “the National Assembly made cuts amounting to N347 billion in the allocations to 4,700 projects submitted to them for consideration and introduced 6,403 projects of their own amounting to N578 billion”.

He added: “Many of the projects cut are critical and may be difficult, if not impossible, to implement with the reduced allocation.

“Some of the new projects inserted by the National Assembly have not been properly conceptualised, designed and costed and will therefore be difficult to execute.

”Furthermore, many of these new projects introduced by the National Assembly have been added to the budgets of most MDAs with no consideration for institutional capacity to execute them or the incremental recurrent expenditure that may be required.

“As it is, some of these projects relate to matters that are the responsibility of the States and Local Governments, and for which the Federal Government should therefore not be unduly burdened.”

He added that the lawmakers also hiked their own budget to N139b from N125billion without consultation with the executive.

Faulting the many insertions by the lawmakers, Buhari said: “The logic behind the Constitutional direction that budgets should be proposed by the Executive is that it is the Executive that knows and defines its policies and projects.”

The President said he decided “to sign the 2018 Budget in order not to further slow down the pace of recovery of our economy, which has doubtlessly been affected by the delay in passing the budget”.

He said he would “seek to remedy some of the most critical of these issues through a supplementary and/or amendment budget which I hope the National Assembly will be able to expeditiously consider”.

Buhari praised the implementation of the 2017 budget in which N1.5 trillion was released for the implementation of capital projects.

The President said in spite of the delay in the budget’s passage, he would continue to work with the National Assembly “towards improving the budgeting process and restoring our country to the January-December fiscal cycle.”

”I note, with pleasure, that the National Assembly is working on the enactment of an Organic Budget Law, so as to improve the efficiency of the nation’s budgetary process,” Buhari said.

 HOW THE BUDGET WAS ALTERED

• Lawmakers raise extimates presented by President Buhari by N578b
• Lawmakers cut N347b allocated to 4,700 projects and introduced 6,403 projects
• Counterpart funding for the Mambilla Power Plant, Second Niger Bridge/ancillary roads, East-West Road, Bonny-Bodo Road, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and Itakpe-Ajaokuta Rail Project cut by N11.5b
• Projects in the FCT major arterial roads and mass transit rail cut by N7.5b
• Provision for rehabilitation for UN building cut from N4b to N100m
• Estimate for health cut by N7.45 b •Vote for security at 104 Unity Schools cut by N3b
• Funds for National Housing Programme cut by N8.7b
• N5b cut from provisions for PRF and Public Service Wage Adjustment
• Funds for EEG and Special Economic Zones/Industrial Parks cut by N14.5b
• Construction of Enugu Airport terminal building cut from N2b to N500m
• Take-off Grant for Maritime Varsity cut from N5b to N3.4b

 Insertions by lawmakers 

• 70 new roads inserted into the budget without consultation with the Executive
• Statutory Transfers increased by an aggregate of N73.96b (for recurrent expenditure)
• The National Assembly’s budget was raised from N125b to N139.5b. - The Nation 
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