The Senate Thursday said that the allegation by the former President Olusegun Obasanjo that the National Assembly was using constituency projects to siphon the public funds was a total lie meant to denigrate the sanctity of the parliament.
The Senate also claimed that it was the Obasanjo’s administration that approved the constituency projects to be built in the national budget which was executed by the executive.
Speaking through its chairman on Information, Media and Public Affairs, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, the Senate described the allegation of corruption against it by the former president as unfortunate and an attempt to tarnish the image of the National Assembly.
According to the statement, the Red Chamber said it was unfortunate that the former President would distort the issue of constituency projects as meaning a direct monetary advance to lawmakers and thus amounting to the “promotion of corruption” by the National Assembly.
Describing the allegation as spurious, Abaribe in the statement said the former President’s comment was distant from the truth and nowhere near reality, adding that if it were so, the former President would not have tolerated such for the period he was the President of the country.
According him, “President Obasanjo for the avoidance of doubt, was the initiator of the constituency project in the year 2000 as a means of ensuring that projects were fairly spread across the country using the Senatorial zones as the spring board.
“To ensure execution of the projects, President Obasanjo again factored the constituency projects into the annual budgets to be implemented by the executive depending on availability of funds. That is to say that no lawmaker ever comes close to the funds or even determine the contractor for the said projects or when the said contract would be awarded.
“So, it looks curious and surprising that President Obasanjo would turn around after over ten years of initiating such a project to allege that the National Assembly is performing the function of both the executive and the parliament.
“Is it not preposterous for anybody to believe that members of the National Assembly would against the provisions of the constitution with regards to application of separation of powers, award contracts ‘to their agents to execute’ and expect the Presidency under a President Obasanjo or any other President for that matter to pay for what they are not part of?
“Such allegation stands logic on its head, as it amounts to an indictment of the Presidency for wilfully contravening the budget laws by ceding its power to execute to the National Assembly, if it was the case.”
The Senate according to Abaribe therefore, challenged the former President to go a step further to furnish Nigerians with details of how the National Assembly members became executors of national budget rather than being law makers.
He said, “It will also help to clear the allegation once and for all, if any presidency official not only from the time past but currently, could come forward and explain the true position of the so called constituency projects. Doing so would at least set the records straight.”
The Senate spokesman cautioned political leaders to be wary of the consequences to our democracy of dragging the revered institution of lawmaking to public odium just to score some political point.
We all know Senators are all corrupt. Do we need OBJ to even tell us.
ReplyDeleteOld age is disturbing this old man, He started wth Goodluck now senates then next time is going to be APC
ReplyDeleteAre you serious?
DeleteI wonder what is disturbing you am sure not old age? Obasanjo was only over stating the obvious
Delete9.35 pm u reason with ur anus. If u dnt kw what to say shout up idiot...
Deletesome pple hav fish brain, who in dis country does not know that all senate are corupt and who can tell me d different between APC and PDP. same wine in different bottle. i beg not party is better in dis country, all of them ar fighting for their pockets and family stop fooling urself. prince Atanda
ReplyDeleteYour advice! We should fold our arms. Big fool. If you are not sure of what to say it's better to keep quiet. The idea of constituency project is to allow projects to be spread across the length and breath of the country when the president was in charge. With GEJ it's a way to settle the lazy senators to allow unrestricted access to looting. The only way to return to the Senate is by initiating impeachment proceeding against the president and one big fool is coming out to say the Senate is not corrupt. Keeping quite in the face of this monumental corruption is the greatest disservice one can offer his nation.
Deletewhat a country and the so called first class citizens. can you imagine obj the initiator of constituency project came now to condemn and criticize it.though the so called senators have been doing nothing with this but is not enough reason for this good for nothing OBJ to voice out in this kind.what does this OBJ want to do with nigeria as a country and nigerian citizens? what does he want us to do for him after many years of his regime that is since 1976 etc? this man and his co should be arrested and dealt with for this country to have peace because he is causing fracas in this country.he cannot and will never compare his regime in all ramifications to jonathan's regime.the fact that jonathan has full respect to the democracy does not give all these criminals the guts to be disorganizing his good plans.i don't really understand this old man obj wants this country to be.jonathan is a man of good heart and intentions that is purely innocent unlike every other past presidents that killed lots of souls.oh my God, when will you come to our rescue and flush out all these bad aids so that your children can survive and live to glorify you? this is a country where all the leaders are untouchable even when they killed and this is the more reason why they don't care. oh God arise and let all the enemies of this country be consumed in Jesus name, amen
ReplyDeleteChaii! 11:01, you are very funny oooo. How can a MAN reason from his ANUS. Are you saying that this man's brain is situated inside his ANUS?
ReplyDeleteOBJ anc co reinitiate all these corruption thing, after military completed their own high level of corruption. Just as some military past president are the father of corruption, so OBJ is the father of corruption in democratic era. So why is he tellimg us what we all knw started with his regim for after military high level corruption. B/c we all expected that corruption will end as he knew more about the governing system, instead he took advantage, and now he's talking.
ReplyDeleteWe Nigerians are more religious than the communities that brought the two religions i.e. Christianity & Islam to us. In any situation, we are quick to put it at the God's door. If our religious belief is used as a tool to measure our behavior, we should be talking of heaven on earth in our country. Certainly, God has power over & can change all situation of a community but it is not automatic. The community must resolve within themselves to initiate the change. My fellow Nigerian, sincerity is the watchword. I trust that if any of our family members became a Council's Chairman today, our demands (both in cash and kind) from him will change in geometrical progression immediately. Are we not encouraging corruption in style? Your thought is as good as mine. Enjoy your weekend.
ReplyDeleteOBJ is right about the senate but he is veryyyyyyyyy wrong about Mr. President
ReplyDeleteMy fellow country people, the current scenario in this country has driven to a height that we are all confused. But on the other hand i believe no leader the county has had, has been fair and good as far as am concern. from OBJ till GEJ. I still wonder why the criticism from OBJ and secondly at this hour as Nigeria is heading to another democratic era is disgusting, i think something is really fishing here....You have been in logger heads with Jonathan rather to restore peace to your own country as a father of democracy and stop pointing accusing fingers on the leaders. You spoke of non filling of Muslim/Muslim candidature as president, Apparently we understood that and i think majority of people accepted the fact and thanked you for the bold spoken words, speak reasonable again we need your wisdom and rather don't tarnish the image of your successor cause yours government wasn't the best at all so to speak. But something is sure and i believe once GEJ is re-elected, he is going to shut a lot of calbre's mouth that have cripple and fallen the economy of my country. he is playing silence now. I BELIEVE AND DEFINITELY NIGERIA IS GOING TO BE A BETTER NATION...
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