Panel Quizzes Senate Workers Over ‘Missing Budget’

Following the alleged disappearance of the 2016 budget document from the National Assembly, the Senate Joint Committee on Wednesday, January 13, quizzed five members of staff from the upper chamber.

Senator Samuel Anyanwu, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions and Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, another member of the committee, said that five senior civil servants had been questioned over the issue, The Punch reports.

Some senior employees in the offices of the clerk to the National Assembly, clerk to the Senate, Senate Leader, senior special assistant to the president on National Assembly matters (Senate) and rules and business, were quizzed.

Anyanwu said the Joint Senate Committee, comprising his own and that of Appropriation, would submit their report on Thursday.

He added that the report would be discussed at either in closed session or in plenary, depending on the disposition of the Senate leadership.

Nwaoboshi also confirmed that the document was missing, stating that his committee was on the trail of those connected with the document.

 However, Senator Sabi Abdullahi, the chairman, Senate committee on media and public affairs, said no statement, made by any senator during the plenary, could be interpreted to mean an admission that the 2016 budget was missing.

He said the senate would today distribute copies of the budget to all the Senators to enable them to be able to contribute to the debate, which will take place between Tuesday, January 19 and Thursday, January 21.

 The uncertainty over the whereabouts of the budget proposal in the Senate persisted on Wednesday, January 13, as no one seemed to know the true situation of things.

Senate President Bukola Saraki upon resumption announced that members of the red chamber would begin a three-day debate on the 2016 Appropriation Bill from next week Tuesday.

But Senator Abaribe, who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Information, raised a point of order, drawing the Senate’s attention to media reports, alleging that the document was missing from the red chamber.

Saraki in his response, said since all the senators were part of the issue as extensively discussed, adding that it would be better to wait for the report of the committee saddled with the responsibility of searching for the reportedly missing document.

Contrary to what obtained in the Senate, members of the House of Representatives were relieved yesterday as the 2016 budget was displayed to dispel the rumour of a missing budget.

In another development, the speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara has described reports that the 2016 Budget was missing, as an “incredible and award winning April fool stunt.”

Reacting to the news, Dogara took to his Twitter handle to say it was a hoax as the documents are still intact.

He wrote: “1st April arrived too early this year on Twitter. 2016 Budget estimates stolen at NASS? Pretty funny stuff!

“It’s an incredible and award winning April fool stunt.


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