Lawmakers Accuse Executive Of Misapplication, Unilateral Action On Recovered Abacha Loot

metro

2 years ago

The seeming emerging gulf between the executive and the lawmakers may be widening on daily basis.

From expressions of discontentment on financial disbursements and appropriations to misalignment of recovered loot, the perceived infringements on the constitution by the executive is becoming endless.

Dachung Bagos, Deputy Chairman, anti-corruption committee in the House of Representatives did not spare the federal government, whom he accused of unilateral actions on issues affecting the citizens.

Bagos , who spoke on Channels Television program, Politics Today, Wednesday, said the lower chamber will beam its searchlight on the recent agreement between the government and United States to repatriate about $23million Abacha Loot back to the country.

Asked why it has taken long time for the lower chamber to act, particularly on its oversight functions, the lawmakers said those of them in opposition had severally complained in the past but no action was taken.

He reasoned that this time around, the lawmakers would stand their grounds when they reconvene next month, noting that, their fear is that the money could be diverted into election campaigns just like he alleged, happened in 2015, under the ‘trader money’, where money was shared to done people.

He further reasoned that these monies belong to the citizens and its logical that their disbursements should be based on appropriation by representatives of the people and the constitution.

The member representing Jos North/Jos South Federal Constituency of Plateau State said, for instance, that part of this Abacha loot should be used to end the ongoing Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike.

He warned the government against using the money to prosecute the 2023 general elections.

He said, “This is my third year in the National Assembly; we have never discussed any of the recovered loots. We just sit down and we hear the executive recovered loots and allocate the same expenses to to various projects that they so desire.

“Section 12 sub section 1 of the 1999 constitution as amended clearly says that any agreement or treaty that is being signed on behalf of Nigerians by the federation needs to be ratified by the National Assembly, but most of these agreements have not been brought to the National Assembly for us to ratify to see if there are clauses in these agreements that will cause certain dangers or harm to the next generation of Nigeria.

“The eighth Assembly really argued about some of the recovered loots, then it was about $600 million from 2015 to 2019 that was recovered, but the executive channeled it to social intervention programmes prior to election, sharing N5,000 and so on.

“These funds are critical and we want Nigerians to be aware of the situation because we don’t want the funds diverted to elections at the last minute of the administration.

“And to us if such amount of money will be recovered, we need to look into such amount of money. What is the pressing need of Nigerians that we can channel such funds? If such money is going into the federation account, it means that before it goes out of the federation account, it needs to be approved by the National Assembly, not the executive to just channel to what they want.

“We have pressing needs, like now ASUU has been on strike and government is trying to settle such issue. As a representative of the people if I have to argue where such funds will be channeled to, why can’t we channel part of this funds to ASUU so that our youths that are home can go back to school?”

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However, some analysts have berated the leadership of the National Assembly for alleged complicit in most of the shortcomings and excesses of the executive, as they allege ‘compromises and selfish intetedts’ ‘ in most of their actions.

“if the National Assembly, particularly, their leadership, were responsible and really accountable to the people as they claim, they would not have become so subservient to the executive in this manner. We have never had this bad in this country, where the leadership of the National Assembly became a complete sellout and rubberstamp of the executive, ” analyst.