Senate, budget, Melaye and monkey business
The Nigerian legislature has since 1999 been renowned for scandals. However, nothing in the past ranks with the dishonours of the 8th Senate. A few months ago, after an official of the joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) claimed that a snake swallowed N36 million from their vault, Northern Senators were informed that their N70 […]
The Nigerian legislature has since 1999 been renowned for scandals. However, nothing in the past ranks with the dishonours of the 8th Senate. A few months ago, after an official of the joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) claimed that a snake swallowed N36 million from their vault, Northern Senators were informed that their N70 Million kept in the farm of a ranking Senator was missing. On account of this missing cash Senator Abdullahi Adamu who was in custody of the money was removed as Chairman of the Northern Senators Forum. At the time Senator Sheu Sanni speculated that maybe monkeys had made away with the loot! In all truthfulness since its inception the 8th Senate has been plagued by monkey business.
It all started with the way and manner in which the current Senate President was elected. Reports of alteration to sections of the Senate Standing Rules caused consternation. The whole process was the first sign that the All Progressives Congress (APC) was not a cohesive political entity, but rather a vehicle of opportunity for some overly ambitious individuals to fight for their political future. Neither the interests of the Party, nor those of the President himself were taken into consideration in the shenanigans which secured the Senate Presidency for the incumbent. Ever since this inauspicious inception the 8th Senate has sunk further and further into monkeying around with the nation’s destiny. When the Senate President Bukola Saraki was charged by the Code of Conduct Tribunal for criminal false declaration of assets and illegal operation of foreign bank accounts, his colleagues decided to shut down the Upper chamber in order to follow him to Court! There is little doubt that Saraki’s running from pillar to post in order to save his political skin has affected the work of the 8th Senate.
The primary role of any legislature is to legislate. The most important piece of annual recurrent legislation is the Appropriation Act otherwise called the Budget. President Buhari handed the document to the NASS in November last year, but to date it hasn’t been passed. There are many who believe that legislators are monkeying around with the budget so as to hold the Executive to ransom. Playing politics with such an important document is a reprehensible gross dereliction of duty. Whenever the budget is eventually passed it should be accompanied by sincere apologies from both Chambers of the NASS.
It’s difficult to fathom how and why a NASS controlled by the ruling APC could fail to pass the Budget nearly 200 days after it was submitted to them. There are only three sensible ways in which the document should have been treated. Firstly, it could have been accepted and passed as the Appropriation Act; Secondly it could have been rejected outright and returned for amendments; and Thirdly it could have been amended and then returned to the Presidency for consideration. The one option not open to the NASS which they decided to take was to stay action on the matter. As if this legislative indolence wasn’t bad enough, the electorate has been regaled with stories of the outrageous illegal allowances Senators granted themselves. This surfeit of easy money in their hands led to further monkey business. A scandalous video emerged which showed Senator Bukar Abba Ibrahim dressing up in the presence of two women allegedly after amorous exertions. The “Distinguished” Senator didn’t deny the incident. Then yet another Senator took his place on the list of those with Certificate scandals. Senator Foster Ogala joined the likes of former Aviation Minister Stella Oduah as Senators whose qualifications are unverifiable by appropriate authorities and highly suspect. Ogala who is the Vice-chairman of the Senate Committee on Information Conversation Technologies and Cybercrime claims to have a PhD from an unlicensed University which the National Universities Commission have never heard of.
Investigations show that the “University” occupies one floor of a two-storey building! Another Senator initially accused of certificate scandal was Dino Melaye although after investigations it was determined that he did in fact possess extremely poor academic qualifications. This “Distinguished” Senator is being detained at an Abuja hospital after allegedly jumping out of a police van to escape custody. He has been charged with supplying illegal arms to his political supporters, a charge which quite naturally he denies. The Senator who enjoys the finer things in life such as designer clothing and exotic cars is better known for his rabble-rousing antics rather than for any legislative prowess. He first came to the limelight in 2010 when he was suspended from the House of Representatives after his clothes were torn when he engaged in fisticuffs in the hallowed chamber.
In July 2016 on the floor of the Senate Melaye unashamedly threatened to beat up and impregnate a fellow Senator who is a married woman. Although he has successfully fought off an attempt to engineer his recall, he is now in hot soup and fighting for both his freedom and political future. Melaye habitually in the habit of singing, dancing, fighting and speaking loudly in videos. His lawyer’s submission to the Court in Lokoja that he is asthmatic and requires special care seems contradicted by his past behaviour. The idea that he should be given preferential treatment simply because he is a serving Senator doesn’t hold water. Although he hasn’t been found guilty of any offence he has been remanded in custody without bail. As unjust as this may seem, it’s the fate of thousands of citizens. Nigerian prisons are full of “awaiting trial” inmates who haven’t been found guilty of any crime.
The Senate has done nothing to try and correct this anomaly, so it ill becomes them to cry out now simply because it affects one of their own. Senators are below the law not above it. They don’t deserve special treatment, more especially when rather than legislate they occupy their time with monkey business.