The senate president, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has said that President Muhammadu Buhari’s allegation that the lawmakers padded debts meant to be repaid by the federal government to deserving states was borne out of misinformation by his (Buhari’s) aides.
It would be recalled that Buhari had accused the lawmakers of inflating the debt figures to be repaid by the federal government to some states and asked them to send details of the amounts they approved for Delta and Taraba states.
He alleged that the total amount approved by the national assembly for the two states was higher than the amount ‘approved’ by the federal executive council (FEC).
He alleged that while the FEC approved about N78 billion as reimbursement to Delta and Taraba state governments, the lawmakers approved N90 billion, “which is higher than the amount approved by the Federal Executive Council”.
But Saraki, said in a statement issued by his spokesman, Mr. Yusuph Olaniyonu said the senate approved the exact figures for Taraba and Delta states that was submitted to it by the executive through the ministry of finance as stated on page 402 of a document titled, “Federal Ministry of Finance Submission of Federal Government of Nigeria Outstanding Liabilities to National Assembly, May, 2018”.
“The President had claimed in his letter to the National Assembly dated March 5, 2019 that ‘While the Federal Executive Council approved a total sum of N78, 601, 631, 430.16 as reimbursement to Delta and Taraba State governments, the National Assembly approved N90, 236,461, 031.36, which is higher than the amount approved by the federal executive council’.
“The senate would like to clarify that the breakdown which the executive through the ministry of finance submitted to the national assembly showed that the outstanding liability due to Taraba State is N22, 254,062,330.08 while that of Delta is N67, 982, 398, 701. 28 while the total for the two states is N90, 236, 461, 031. 36.
“Therefore, the national assembly approved the figures submitted to it by the ministry of finance as approved by the federal executive council (FEC) for projects executed on behalf of the federal government. At no time did the executive forward the figure of N78, 601, 631, 430, 16 to us and we do not know where the President got that figure from.
“We have decided to make this clarification in order to set the records straight and disabuse the minds of the general public. We believe the President must have been misinformed and misadvised by his aides while writing the letter he sent on this issue to the national assembly.”
