JUST IN!!! Bombshell: Obasanjo Writes Saraki, Dogara; Opens Can of Worms (MUST READ)
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has written the National Assembly
accusing the lawmakers of corruption, impunity, greed and of repeatedly
breaking the nation’s laws.
In a letter dated January 13 and addressed to the President of the
Senate, Bukola Saraki and the Speaker of the House of Representatives,
Yakubu Dogara, the former president specifically accused the lawmakers
of
fixing and earning salaries and
allowances far above what the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal
Commission approved for them.
He also alleged that most of the 109 senators and 369 members of the
House of Representatives were receiving constituency allowances without
maintaining constituency offices as the laws required of them.
Mr. Obasanjo was president between 1999 and 2007.
In the letter, exclusively obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, the former
president said on a few occasion, both in and out of office as
president, he had agonised over the massive corruption and lawlessness
at the National Assembly and other arms and tiers of government.
He said he had reflected and expressed, outspokenly at times, his
views on the practice in the National Assembly “which detracts from
“distinguishness” and “honourability” because it is shrouded in
opaqueness and absolute lack of transparency and could not be regarded
as normal, good and decent practice in a democracy that is supposed to
be exemplary.”
While referring to the issue of budgets and finances of the federal
legislature, Mr. Obasanjo said the present economic situation that the
country has found itself in is the climax of the steady erosion of good
financial and economic management which grew from bad to worse in the
last six years or so.
According to him, the executive and the legislative arms of
government must accept and share responsibility in this regard and that
if there will be a redress of the situation as early as possible, the
two arms must also bear the responsibility proportionally.
“The two arms ran the affairs of the country unmindful of the rainy
day,” he said. “The rainy day is now here. It would not work that the
two arms should stand side by side with one arm pulling and without the
support of the other one for good and efficient management of the
economy.”
The former president argued that the purpose of election into the
Legislative Assembly particularly at the national level was to give
service to the nation and not for the personal service and interest of
members at the expense of the nation which seemed to have been the
mentality, psychology, mindset and practice within the National Assembly
since the beginning of this present democratic dispensation.
He asked pointedly, “Where is patriotism? Where is commitment? Where is service?”
He stated further, “The beginning of good governance which is the
responsibility of all arms and all the tiers of government is openness
and transparency.
“It does not matter what else we try to do, as long as one arm of
government shrouds its financial administration and management in
opaqueness and practices rife with corruption, only very little, if
anything at all, can be achieved in putting Nigeria on the path of
sustainable and enduring democratic system, development and progress.
Governance without transparency will be a mockery of democracy.”
Going more specific, Mr. Obasanjo noted that a situation where our
national budget was predicated on $38 per barrel of oil with estimated
two million barrels per day and before the budget was presented, the
price of oil had gone down to $34 per barrel and now hovering around $30
and the country has no assurance of producing two million barrels and
if it could, it would have no assurance of finding market for it,
definitely calls for caution.
He added that if production and price projected in the budget stand,
the country would have to borrow almost one third of the N6 trillion
budget.
He stressed, “Now beginning with the reality of the budget, there is
need for sober reflection and sacrifice with innovation at the level of
executive and legislative arms of government. The soberness, the
sacrifice and seriousness must be patient and apparent.
“It must not be seen and said that those who, as leaders, call for
sacrifice from the citizenry are living in obscene opulence. It will not
only be insensitive but callously so. It would seem that it is becoming
a culture that election into the legislative arm of government at the
national level in particular is a licence for financial misconduct and
that should not be.
“The National Assembly now has a unique opportunity of presenting a
new image of itself. It will help to strengthen, deepen, widen and
sustain our democracy.”
Mr. Obasanjo said going by the provisions of the 1999 Constitution,
RMAFC is charged with the responsibility of fixing emoluments of the
three arms of government: executive, legislature and judiciary.
He said the Commission did its job but that “by different
disingenuous ways and devices, the legislature had overturned the
recommendation of the Commission and hiked up for themselves that which
they are unwilling to spell out in detail, though they would want to
defend it by force of arm if necessary. What is that?”
The former president added, “Mr. President of the Senate and Hon.
Speaker of the House, you know that your emolument which the Commission
had recommended for you takes care of all your legitimate requirements:
basic salary, car, housing, staff, constituency allowance.
“Although the constituency allowance is paid to all members of the
National Assembly, many of them have no constituency offices which the
allowance is partly meant to cater for. And yet other allowances and
payments have been added by the National Assembly for the National
Assembly members’ emoluments. Surely, strictly speaking, it is
unconstitutional.
“There is no valid argument for this except to see it for what it is –
law-breaking and impunity by lawmakers. The lawmakers can return to the
path of honour, distinguishness, sensitivity and responsibility.
“The National Assembly should have the courage to publish its
recurrent budgets for the years 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2015. That is what
transparency demands.
“With the number of legislators not changing, comparison can be made.
Comparisons in emoluments can also be made with countries like Ghana,
Kenya, Senegal and even Malaysia and Indonesia who are richer and more
developed than we are.”
Mr. Obasanjo recounted that while in office as president, he was
threatened with impeachment by the members of the National Assembly for
not releasing some money they had appropriated for themselves which were
odious and for which there were no incomes to support.
On the plan by the legislature to buy new cars for its committees, the former president said it is unnecessary.
According to him, “The recent issue of cars for legislators would
fall into the same category. Whatever name it is disguised as, it is
unnecessary and insensitive.
“A pool of a few cars for each Chamber will suffice for any Committee
Chairman or members for any specific duty. The waste that has gone into
cars, furniture, housing renovation in the past was mind-boggling and
these were veritable sources of waste and corruption. That was why they
were abolished. Bringing them back is inimical to the interest of
Nigeria and Nigerians.”
Mr. Obasanjo expressed hope that the National Assembly would reconsider its plan and do what is right not only in making its own budget
transparent but in all matters of financial administration and
management including audit of its accounts by external outside auditor
from 1999 to date.
“This, if it is done, will bring a new dawn to democracy in Nigeria
and a new and better image for the National Assembly and it will surely
avoid the Presidency and the National Assembly going into face-off all
the time on budgets and financial matters,” he said.
Below is Mr. Obasanjo’s letter:
January 13, 2016
Distinguished Senator Bukola Saraki,
President of the Senate,
Federal Republic of Nigeria,
Senate Chambers,
Abuja.
Honourable Yakubu Dogara,
Speaker, House of Representatives,
National Assembly Complex,
Abuja.
It is appropriate to begin this letter, which I am sending to all
members of the Senate and the House of Representatives through both of
you at this auspicious and critical time, with wishes of Happy New Year
to you all.
On a few occasions in the past, both in and out of office as the
President of Nigeria, I have agonised on certain issues within the arms
of government at the national level and among the tiers of government as
well. Not least, I have reflected and expressed, outspokenly at times,
my views on the practice in the National Assembly which detracts from
distinguishness and honourability because it is shrouded in opaqueness
and absolute lack of transparency and could not be regarded as normal,
good and decent practice in a democracy that is supposed to be
exemplary. I am, of course, referring to the issue of budgets and
finances of the National Assembly.
The present economic situation that the country has found itself in
is the climax of the steady erosion of good financial and economic
management which grew from bad to worse in the last six years or so. The
executive and the legislative arms of government must accept and share
responsibility in this regard. And if there will be a redress of the
situation as early as possible, the two arms must also bear the
responsibility proportionally. The two arms ran the affairs of the
country unmindful of the rainy day. The rainy day is now here. It would
not work that the two arms should stand side by side with one arm
pulling and without the support of the other one for good and efficient
management of the economy.
The purpose of election into the Legislative Assembly particularly at
the national level is to give service to the nation and not for the
personal service and interest of members at the expense of the nation
which seemed to have been the mentality, psychology, mindset and
practice within the National Assembly since the beginning of this
present democratic dispensation. Where is patriotism? Where is
commitment? Where is service?
The beginning of good governance which is the responsibility of all
arms and all the tiers of government is openness and transparency. It
does not matter what else we try to do, as long as one arm of government
shrouds its financial administration and management in opaqueness and
practices rife with corruption, only very little, if anything at all,
can be achieved in putting Nigeria on the path of sustainable and
enduring democratic system, development and progress. Governance without
transparency will be a mockery of democracy.
Let us be more direct and specific so that action can be taken where
it is urgently necessary. A situation where our national budget was
predicated on $38 per barrel of oil with estimated 2 million barrels per
day and before the budget was presented, the price of oil had gone down
to $34 per barrel and now hovering around $30 and we have no assurance
of producing 2 million barrels and if we can, we have no assurance of
finding market for it, definitely calls for caution. If production and
price projected in the budget stand, we would have to borrow almost one
third of the 6 trillion naira budget. Now beginning with the reality of
the budget, there is need for sober reflection and sacrifice with
innovation at the level of executive and legislative arms of government.
The soberness, the sacrifice and seriousness must be patient and
apparent.
It must not be seen and said that those who, as leaders, call for
sacrifice from the citizenry are living in obscene opulence. It will not
only be insensitive but callously so. It would seem that it is becoming
a culture that election into the legislative arm of government at the
national level in particular is a licence for financial misconduct and
that should not be. The National Assembly now has a unique opportunity
of presenting a new image of itself. It will help to strengthen, deepen,
widen and sustain our democracy.
By our Constitution, the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal
Commission is charged with the responsibility of fixing emoluments of
the three arms of government: executive, legislature and judiciary. The
Commission did its job but by different disingenuous ways and devices,
the legislature had overturned the recommendation of the Commission and
hiked up for themselves that which they are unwilling to spell out in
detail, though they would want to defend it by force of arm if
necessary. What is that?
Mr. President of the Senate and Hon. Speaker of the House, you know
that your emolument which the Commission had recommended for you takes
care of all your legitimate requirements: basic salary, car, housing,
staff, constituency allowance. Although the constituency allowance is
paid to all members of the National Assembly, many of them have no
constituency offices which the allowance is partly meant to cater for.
And yet other allowances and payments have been added by the National
Assembly for the National Assembly members’ emoluments. Surely, strictly
speaking, it is unconstitutional. There is no valid argument for this
except to see it for what it is – law-breaking and impunity by
lawmakers. The lawmakers can return to the path of honour,
distinguishness, sensitivity and responsibility. The National Assembly
should have the courage to publish its recurrent budgets for the years
2000, 2005, 2010 and 2015. That is what transparency demands. With the
number of legislators not changing, comparison can be made. Comparisons
in emoluments can also be made with countries like Ghana, Kenya, Senegal
and even Malaysia and Indonesia who are richer and more developed than
we are.
The budget is a proposal and only an estimate of income and
expenditure. Where income is inadequate, expenditure will not be made.
While in government, I was threatened with impeachment by the members of
the National Assembly for not releasing some money they had
appropriated for themselves which were odious and for which there were
no incomes to support. The recent issue of cars for legislators would
fall into the same category. Whatever name it is disguised as, it is
unnecessary and insensitive. A pool of a few cars for each Chamber will
suffice for any Committee Chairman or members for any specific duty. The
waste that has gone into cars, furniture, housing renovation in the
past was mind-boggling and these were veritable sources of waste and
corruption. That was why they were abolished. Bringing them back is
inimical to the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians.
The way of proposing budget should be for the executive to discuss
every detail of the budget, in preparation, with different Committees
and sub-Committees of the National Assembly and the National Assembly to
discuss its budget with the Ministry of Finance. Then, the budget
should be brought together as consolidated budget and formally presented
to the National Assembly, to be deliberated and debated upon and passed
into law. It would then be implemented as revenues are available. Where
budget proposals are extremely ambitious like the current budget and
revenue sources are so uncertain, more borrowing may have to be embarked
upon, almost up to 50% of the budget or the budget may be grossly
unimplementable and unimplemented. Neither is a choice as both are bad.
Management of the economy is one of the key responsibilities of the
President as prescribed in the Constitution. He cannot do so if he does
not have his hands on the budget. Management of the economy is shared
responsibility where the Presidency has the lion share of the
responsibility. But if the National Assembly becomes a cog in the wheel,
the executive efforts will not yield much reward or progress. The two
have to work synchronisingly together to provide the impetus and the
conducive environment for the private sector to play its active vanguard
role. Management of the budget is the first step to manage the economy.
It will be interesting if the National Assembly will be honourable
enough and begin the process of transparency, responsibility and realism
by publishing its recurrent budgets for 2016 as it should normally be
done.
Hopefully, the National Assembly will take a step back and do what is
right not only in making its own budget transparent but in all matters
of financial administration and management including audit of its
accounts by external outside auditor from 1999 to date. This, if it is
done, will bring a new dawn to democracy in Nigeria and a new and better
image for the National Assembly and it will surely avoid the Presidency
and the National Assembly going into face-off all the time on budgets
and financial matters.
While I thank you for your patience and understanding, please accept,
Dear Senate President and Honourable Speaker of the House, the
assurances of my highest consideration.
OLUSEGUN OBASANJO
