The National Assembly is facing serious financial crunch
as a result of huge debt running into billions of naira,
Daily Trust has reliably gathered.
The debts were owed contractors for the supply of office
facilities, lawmakers’ vehicles, and maintenance costs
among others.
Contractors and suppliers are grumbling over the inability
of the National Assembly management to liquidate the
accumulated debts.
It was gathered that the situation has forced the
management of the National Assembly to take cost
cutting measures including the slashing down of salaries
of legislative aides by about 70 percent.
A source familiar with the workings of the National
Assembly told Daily Trust that the management is now
taking inventory of the debt stock.
The source said some of the debts were incurred
through contracts that might not have been executed. “It
is a yearly occurrence,” the source added.
“There are huge debts, no doubt. They’re still in the
process of compiling,” said the source.
One legislative aid said, “The situation is so worrisome
that the new Clerk to the National Assembly, Alhaji
Mohammed Sani-Omolori has demanded for the
comprehensive details of the debts profile.”
Asked about the major contracts being awarded by the
National Assembly, the source said they included office
facilities, vehicles, and maintenance.
“You’ll be shocked if you know the monumental
corruption taking place in the management of the
National Assembly. They change office equipment every
year on paper, but you don’t get to see anything.
“You can imagine even the maintenance being carried out
by Julius Berger at the time was done on credit. It was
because of the way they were going about the whole
thing that Berger backed out from the contract of
maintaining the NASS complex.
“There are a lot of things my brother. Some of them
would raise fake vouchers just to divert the money.
Somebody would say he has travelled to somewhere,
whereas he was in his house.
“They also have ghost workers among the NASS staff,
but because nobody probes them, people don’t get to
know. With this kind of things, how do you expect the
country to change?” said the source, who did not want
to be named.
A management staff of the National Assembly told one
of our correspondents that the situation was
compounded by what he called, “irregular release of
funds by the executive arm of government.”
The source who spoke on condition of anonymity said
unlike before when their funds were released quarterly,
the National Assembly funds were being released by the
executive arm monthly.
“Until this administration, the National Assembly funds
were released quarterly but now the present
administration has adopted a new style. We are now
getting our money monthly.
“This is negatively affecting us because after paying
salaries of lawmakers, their aides and National Assembly
staff, the remaining money is hardly enough for the day-
to-day running of our operations,” he said.
Confirming the situation, a top management staff said
they had stopped awarding major contracts.
He said the debt was affecting the lawmakers whom he
added were not getting what they used to get before.
He however, said, “We are not the only ones owing, the
executive and Judiciary owe too. Ours was worsened by
the slashing down of our budget from N150billion to
N115 billion.”
The budget of the National Assembly that was N23.347
billion in 2003 went up to as much as N150 billion for
four years (2010 to 2013) but was slashed to N120 billion
in 2014 and N115 billion in 2015 and 2016.
The National Assembly budget is still shrouded in
secrecy despite promise by the Senate President, Bukola
Saraki to make the details public.
Contacted, the spokesperson of the Senate, Aliyu Sabi
Abdullahi said he was not aware of the huge debt.
“I don’t know anything about the debt and it’s shouldn’t
be an issue. After all, what is the total debt stock of
Nigeria? There is no how an institution or country will not
owe. The United States is the most heavily indebted
nation. You should please concentrate on issues that
would contribute in the development of the country.
“Today (yesterday) I read somewhere that the UN is
saying that that the 15million unemployed Nigerians is a
time bomb. This is the issue that should worry us. I will
prefer to channel my energy on issues that would bring
about development in this country. We expect the media
to key into the development agenda of this government
by setting agenda on developmental issues, “he said.
Also, the Director of Information of the National
Assembly, Mr Ishaku Dibal, said he was not aware of any
debt being owed by the assembly, but that he would find
out from his superiors and get back to us. He never did
up to the time of filing this report.
Mgt demotes Saraki, Dogara’s aides
Meanwhile, the National Assembly management has
demoted more than half of the aides engaged by the
Senate President, Bukola Saraki, the Speaker of the
House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara and others,
Daily Trust has reliably gathered.
It was gathered that the decision to demote the aides
was due to over bloated number of aides engaged by
Saraki, Dogara, the Deputy Senate President, Ike
Ekweremadu and Deputy Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Yussuf Suleimon Lasun.
Daily Trust had exclusively reported in March, this year
that the National Assembly bureaucracy requested the
presiding officers to reduce the number of their aides by
at least 60 percent as part of cost cutting measures.
At that time, the four presiding officers had hired 400
aides with Saraki having 112 aides, Dogara about 170,
Deputy Ekweremadu 60 and Lasun 58.
It was gathered that the refusal of the presiding officers
to heed to the request forced the management of the
National Assembly to demote their aides.
The demotion, our correspondent gathered affected
almost all aides of the Federal lawmakers including those
who were engaged by Senators and Reps.
The findings of our correspondents showed that
monthly, a Special Adviser earns N1,040,000, the Senior
Special Assistant, N1million, Senior Legislative Aide,
N350,000 and the lowest cadre, legislative aide earn
N200,000.
The development has shrunk the finances of the
legislative aides as those who were collecting N1,040,000
before now earn N309, 000 monthly.
Speaking to our correspondents, one of the affected
aides (name withheld), said his salary had been slashed
by 70 percent.
“When we were appointed my salary was over N1million
but now I’m earning N300,000. The slash started in April
when we were paid our four months outstanding
salaries,” he said.
He said there was no communication on the slash,
adding that, “we were not told the yardstick used and no
memo was given to us in this regard.
“My worry is that despite this problem more aides are
being engaged. In fact, from June to date over 20 new
aides have been recruited by the presiding officers, “ he
said.
Efforts to get the reaction of National Assembly
management failed but a source close to it told our
correspondents that the refusal of the presiding officers
to reduce their aides forced them (National Assembly
management) to demote their aides.
“It is not true that their salaries were slashed by 70
percent, but if you say that they were demoted, you are
correct. It is just a move to correct errors that have been
on over the years. The aides are earning outrageous
salaries and this is being corrected now,” he said.
When contacted, the Special Adviser on Media and
Publicity to Saraki, Alhaji Yusuph Olaniyonu declined
comment.
However, a source close to the Senate President’s office
confirmed the development but pointed out that it was
done across board.
http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/general/debt-
weighs-down-national-assembly/159799.html
as a result of huge debt running into billions of naira,
Daily Trust has reliably gathered.
The debts were owed contractors for the supply of office
facilities, lawmakers’ vehicles, and maintenance costs
among others.
Contractors and suppliers are grumbling over the inability
of the National Assembly management to liquidate the
accumulated debts.
It was gathered that the situation has forced the
management of the National Assembly to take cost
cutting measures including the slashing down of salaries
of legislative aides by about 70 percent.
A source familiar with the workings of the National
Assembly told Daily Trust that the management is now
taking inventory of the debt stock.
The source said some of the debts were incurred
through contracts that might not have been executed. “It
is a yearly occurrence,” the source added.
“There are huge debts, no doubt. They’re still in the
process of compiling,” said the source.
One legislative aid said, “The situation is so worrisome
that the new Clerk to the National Assembly, Alhaji
Mohammed Sani-Omolori has demanded for the
comprehensive details of the debts profile.”
Asked about the major contracts being awarded by the
National Assembly, the source said they included office
facilities, vehicles, and maintenance.
“You’ll be shocked if you know the monumental
corruption taking place in the management of the
National Assembly. They change office equipment every
year on paper, but you don’t get to see anything.
“You can imagine even the maintenance being carried out
by Julius Berger at the time was done on credit. It was
because of the way they were going about the whole
thing that Berger backed out from the contract of
maintaining the NASS complex.
“There are a lot of things my brother. Some of them
would raise fake vouchers just to divert the money.
Somebody would say he has travelled to somewhere,
whereas he was in his house.
“They also have ghost workers among the NASS staff,
but because nobody probes them, people don’t get to
know. With this kind of things, how do you expect the
country to change?” said the source, who did not want
to be named.
A management staff of the National Assembly told one
of our correspondents that the situation was
compounded by what he called, “irregular release of
funds by the executive arm of government.”
The source who spoke on condition of anonymity said
unlike before when their funds were released quarterly,
the National Assembly funds were being released by the
executive arm monthly.
“Until this administration, the National Assembly funds
were released quarterly but now the present
administration has adopted a new style. We are now
getting our money monthly.
“This is negatively affecting us because after paying
salaries of lawmakers, their aides and National Assembly
staff, the remaining money is hardly enough for the day-
to-day running of our operations,” he said.
Confirming the situation, a top management staff said
they had stopped awarding major contracts.
He said the debt was affecting the lawmakers whom he
added were not getting what they used to get before.
He however, said, “We are not the only ones owing, the
executive and Judiciary owe too. Ours was worsened by
the slashing down of our budget from N150billion to
N115 billion.”
The budget of the National Assembly that was N23.347
billion in 2003 went up to as much as N150 billion for
four years (2010 to 2013) but was slashed to N120 billion
in 2014 and N115 billion in 2015 and 2016.
The National Assembly budget is still shrouded in
secrecy despite promise by the Senate President, Bukola
Saraki to make the details public.
Contacted, the spokesperson of the Senate, Aliyu Sabi
Abdullahi said he was not aware of the huge debt.
“I don’t know anything about the debt and it’s shouldn’t
be an issue. After all, what is the total debt stock of
Nigeria? There is no how an institution or country will not
owe. The United States is the most heavily indebted
nation. You should please concentrate on issues that
would contribute in the development of the country.
“Today (yesterday) I read somewhere that the UN is
saying that that the 15million unemployed Nigerians is a
time bomb. This is the issue that should worry us. I will
prefer to channel my energy on issues that would bring
about development in this country. We expect the media
to key into the development agenda of this government
by setting agenda on developmental issues, “he said.
Also, the Director of Information of the National
Assembly, Mr Ishaku Dibal, said he was not aware of any
debt being owed by the assembly, but that he would find
out from his superiors and get back to us. He never did
up to the time of filing this report.
Mgt demotes Saraki, Dogara’s aides
Meanwhile, the National Assembly management has
demoted more than half of the aides engaged by the
Senate President, Bukola Saraki, the Speaker of the
House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara and others,
Daily Trust has reliably gathered.
It was gathered that the decision to demote the aides
was due to over bloated number of aides engaged by
Saraki, Dogara, the Deputy Senate President, Ike
Ekweremadu and Deputy Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Yussuf Suleimon Lasun.
Daily Trust had exclusively reported in March, this year
that the National Assembly bureaucracy requested the
presiding officers to reduce the number of their aides by
at least 60 percent as part of cost cutting measures.
At that time, the four presiding officers had hired 400
aides with Saraki having 112 aides, Dogara about 170,
Deputy Ekweremadu 60 and Lasun 58.
It was gathered that the refusal of the presiding officers
to heed to the request forced the management of the
National Assembly to demote their aides.
The demotion, our correspondent gathered affected
almost all aides of the Federal lawmakers including those
who were engaged by Senators and Reps.
The findings of our correspondents showed that
monthly, a Special Adviser earns N1,040,000, the Senior
Special Assistant, N1million, Senior Legislative Aide,
N350,000 and the lowest cadre, legislative aide earn
N200,000.
The development has shrunk the finances of the
legislative aides as those who were collecting N1,040,000
before now earn N309, 000 monthly.
Speaking to our correspondents, one of the affected
aides (name withheld), said his salary had been slashed
by 70 percent.
“When we were appointed my salary was over N1million
but now I’m earning N300,000. The slash started in April
when we were paid our four months outstanding
salaries,” he said.
He said there was no communication on the slash,
adding that, “we were not told the yardstick used and no
memo was given to us in this regard.
“My worry is that despite this problem more aides are
being engaged. In fact, from June to date over 20 new
aides have been recruited by the presiding officers, “ he
said.
Efforts to get the reaction of National Assembly
management failed but a source close to it told our
correspondents that the refusal of the presiding officers
to reduce their aides forced them (National Assembly
management) to demote their aides.
“It is not true that their salaries were slashed by 70
percent, but if you say that they were demoted, you are
correct. It is just a move to correct errors that have been
on over the years. The aides are earning outrageous
salaries and this is being corrected now,” he said.
When contacted, the Special Adviser on Media and
Publicity to Saraki, Alhaji Yusuph Olaniyonu declined
comment.
However, a source close to the Senate President’s office
confirmed the development but pointed out that it was
done across board.
http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/general/debt-
weighs-down-national-assembly/159799.html
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