By Nathaniel Zacchaeus, Abuja

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the Senate President, Mr Godswill Akpabio, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Tajudeen Abbas to drop the plan to spend N40bn on 465 exotic and bulletproof cars for members and principal officials, and N70bn as ‘palliatives’ for new members.

SERAP urged them to “repeal the 2022 Supplementary Appropriation Act to reduce the budget for the National Assembly by N110bn, reflect the current economic realities in the country, and address the impact of the removal of fuel subsidy on the over 137 million poor Nigerians.”

The advocacy group also urged them to “request President Bola Tinubu to present a fresh supplementary appropriation bill, to redirect the N110bn to address the situation of the over 20 million out-of-school children in Nigeria, for the approval of the National Assembly.”

This came as the Senate yesterday explained that the N70bn appropriated to the National Assembly from the Supplementary Budget was not a gift from the executive arm of government for sharing with lawmakers.

The Senate also explained that the $800m World Bank facility was not a loan, adding that it was assistance from the World Bank to help poor Nigerians to make a living.

According to reports, “While N70bn ‘support allowance’ is budgeted for 306 new lawmakers, only N500bn worth of palliatives is budgeted for 12 million poor Nigerians. N40bn is also allocated to buy 465 Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) and bulletproof cars for members and principal officials.”

In the letter dated 15 July 2023 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “This travesty and apparent conflicts of interest and self-dealing by members of the National Assembly must stop.

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SERAP said, “It is a fundamental breach of their fiduciary duties for members of the National Assembly to arbitrarily increase their budget and to use the budget as a tool to satisfy the lifestyle of lawmakers.”

The letter, read in part: “It is a grave violation of the public trust and constitutional oath of office for members of the National Assembly to unjustifiably increase their budget at a time when over 137 million poor Nigerians are living in extreme poverty exacerbated by the removal of fuel subsidy.

“We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within seven days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions to compel you and the National Assembly to comply with our request in the public interest.

“Rather than exercising their constitutional and oversight functions to pursue the public interest by considering bills to improve the conditions of the over 137 million poor Nigerians who are facing the impact of the removal of fuel subsidy, the lawmakers seem to be looking after themselves.

“According to reports, no fewer than 107 units of the 2023 model of the Toyota Land Cruiser and 358 units of the 2023 model of Toyota Prado would be bought for the use of members of the Senate and the House of Representatives respectively.

“The planned purchase is different from the official bulletproof vehicles expected to be purchased for the four presiding officers of the National Assembly.

“The proposed spending of N110bn by members of the National Assembly is apparently on top of the N281bn already provided for the lawmakers in the 2023 National Assembly budget. The proposed spending is also different from the N30.17bn budgeted for the ‘inauguration expenses’ for new members.

“SERAP is concerned that the budget for the National Assembly may further be increased as members are reportedly demanding an upward review of their salaries and allowances purportedly to offset the impact of the removal of fuel subsidy.

“Section 14(2) (b) of the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 [as amended] provides that, ‘the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.

“Under Section 16(1) (a) (b), the National Assembly has the obligations to ‘harness the resources of the nation and promote national prosperity and an efficient, a dynamic and self-reliant economy’, and to ‘secure the maximum welfare, freedom and happiness of every citizen.

“Section 18 of the Constitution of Nigeria provides among others that: ‘Government shall direct its policy towards ensuring that there are equal and adequate educational opportunities at all levels. Government shall strive to eradicate illiteracy; and to this end, government shall provide (a) free, compulsory, and universal primary education.

“The Compulsory, Free Universal Basic Education Act also provides in Section 2(1) that, ‘Every Government in Nigeria shall provide free, compulsory and Universal basic education for every child of primary and junior secondary, school age.

“The proposed spending of N110bn by members of the National Assembly is a fundamental breach of the Nigerian Constitution and the country’s international human rights obligations.

“Nigerians have a right to honest and faithful performance by their public officials including lawmakers, as public officials owe a fiduciary duty to the general citizenry.

“Cutting the N110 billion from the budget of the National Assembly would be entirely consistent with your constitutional oath of office, and the letter and spirit of the Nigerian Constitution, as it would promote efficient, honest, and legal spending of public money.

“The problem of out-of-school children has continued to have catastrophic effects on the lives of millions of children, their families, and communities.

“By being out of school, these Nigerian children have been exposed to real danger, violence, and even untimely death. Redirecting the proposed spending of N110bn to address the situation of over 20 million out-of-school children across the country would improve access of Nigerian children to quality education.

“Education is both a human right in itself and an indispensable means of realizing other human rights. As an empowerment right, education is the primary vehicle by which economically and socially marginalized adults and children can lift themselves out of poverty and obtain the means to participate fully in their communities.

“Under international law, states are required to progressively implement socio-economic rights including the right to quality education commensurate with the level of resources available. Gross misallocation of resources to the detriment of the enjoyment of the right to quality education can constitute a human rights violation.

*NASS: $800m W’ Bank facility grant to poor Nigerians, not a loan

Meanwhile, the Senate has explained that the $800m World Bank facility was not a loan.

It stated that it was assistance from the World Bank to help poor Nigerians to make a living.

The upper chamber also said data for the disbursement of N8,000 to 12 million poor families for six months was thoroughly scrutinised before it was approved.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, stated this while briefing journalists in Abuja.

Adaramodu also explained that the $800m facility was different from the N500bn that the Federal Government had set aside to provide palliatives to Nigerians to cushion the effects of the fuel subsidy removal.

He said the 9th Senate, as a result of public outcry, refused to approve to give former president Muhammadu Buhari’s government access fund because it was a few days to the expiration of the administration.

He said, “It is a World Bank facility. It has been on before the advent of this government.

“It is not borrowing, it is for the national social safety net. It is very different from the palliatives targeted specifically at Nigerians which would be sourced among Nigerians. It is not borrowing, it is not a loan.

“We are not approving a loan for the Federal Government. It is a World Bank-assisted facility that has been there before the 10th Senate. It is just that the National Assembly has to legislate upon any money that is either coming from outside or that is being taken out of Nigeria. That is what we did with the approval given.”

Adaramodu said the N500bn meant for fuel subsidy palliatives was a different arrangement from the disbursement of N800m to 12 million vulnerable homes.

He said, “The N500bn palliatives which the President asked for is to cushion the negative effects of the fuel subsidy removal on the common Nigerians.

“That may not be enough because there are many other aspects which the government can delve into especially as we learnt that the government has been having talks with the organised Labour.

“I think the Federal Government is going to do something in that area. However, in the meantime, it is the stopgap for the dependent Nigerians to lift them before other palliatives come.

“We feel their problems too, and that is why we believe that the average Nigerian must be assisted because we are running a human face government.

“When we are running a human face government, then everything that will be done must be targeted at Nigerians.

“That is why we expeditiously acceded to the request of Mr. President because appropriations belong to the National Assembly.

“It took us time to pass it because we have all pointers that this palliative is going to yield results. It is going to touch those people that it is supposed to touch. So, that is why it was passed.

“On the issue of $800m, it is like a social security scheme, which the Federal Government has sourced for because we know that the N500bn cannot do the magic.

“So the $800m will follow in and assist Nigerians overcome the economic hardship in the country. So, that is why we approved these requests by Mr. President.

“We were not part of the previous palliatives, and for this 10th Senate, so we asked questions because we were not part of any previous palliatives and we are not concerned about what was given before.

“I am not aware of whatever palliatives that had been done before but what is on the ground is that when we asked questions about data, data was supplied.

“When we asked questions about modus operandi, modus operandi was supplied. Therefore, there is no reason for us to doubt the veracity of those explanations, empirical ones for that matter.

“These palliatives cannot go the way of the others. We all know that there had never been a time the government came to the National Assembly to ask for palliatives.

“It used to be through the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management. But this one is a direct Federal Government dealing with the citizens and we don’t have any reason to doubt the genuineness of the scheme,” the Senate spokesperson added.