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.
Courtesy: Premium Times