The House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a
motion seeking to set up an ad-hoc committee to investigate the total amount so
far recovered from the General Sani Abacha loot by the federal government from
1998 to date.
It further sought to establish the sources of the
monies; payments to lawyers, if any, and whether procedures were followed in
the negotiation process for the release of the loot.
The lower House is also seeking to establish if the
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the federal government and foreign
countries on the repatriation were in line with constitutional provision and if
recovered funds had been utilised for the benefits of the common man.
The probe will also cover all other recoveries made
from looted public funds.
The House resolution followed a motion moved under
matters of urgent public importance by Hon. Sunday Karimi (PDP, Kogi) on the
need to stop the federal executive from expending the last tranche of the
Abacha loot or any recovered loot at all without parliamentary approval.
His motion originally requested that the sum of
$322 million to be released by the Switzerland Government be paid to the
Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) and distributed to the federating units in line
with the current revenue sharing formula.
The motion further urged the federal government to
come up with a supplementary appropriation bill, earmarking the funds due to it
from the Abacha loot for the completion of the Ajaokuta Steel Complex.
The motion had called on the federal government to
immediately present to the National Assembly how much has been released from the
recovered loot and how they have been spent.
In his lead debate, Karimi said although the loot
had been released to the federation in several tranches in recent times by the
Swiss Government, there had been little disclosure to the public by the federal
government.
He further picked holes in a recent statement
credited to the Special Adviser to the President on Justice Reforms, Juliet
Ibekaku-Nwagwu, who was reported to have stated that in line with the MoU
signed between the Swiss Government and the Nigerian Government, the $322
million would be paid directly to the accounts of the poorest Nigerians without
recourse to the National Assembly.
The lawmaker noted that by the virtue of Section 12
(1) of the 1999 constitution (as amended), no treaty between the federal
government and any other country shall have the force of law except to the
extent to which such treaty has been enacted by the National Assembly.
Therefore, he argued that no agreement or MoU
purportedly signed by the federal government with the Swiss Government can have
any force of law in Nigeria, except approved and enacted by parliament.
He also said all revenues raised and received by
the federal government shall be paid to the CRF by virtue of Section 80 (3) of
the constitution, adding that no such monies shall be withdrawn from the
account unless the issue of such funds has been authorised by the National
Assembly.
According to him, "As a result, no monies can
be paid or expended without National Assembly approval."
He said it was difficult for government to
determine who qualifies as a poor family to be able to benefit from its
financial handouts, adding that the parliament is closer to the people to know
who is impoverished.
The lawmaker added that the Federal Executive
Council (FEC) "has no power to use Nigeria's money anyhow they like. Let the
constitution be followed: this is impunity...This parliament must decide what
they'll use Nigerian money for."
Contributing to the motion, Hon. Hassan Saleh (APC,
Benue) said: "I smell corruption in disguise," adding that the funds
cannot be effectively distributed to the poor by the executive, as he pointed
to the Sure-P and school feeding schemes of the government where no tangible
results have been achieved.
Rather, he said part of the loot could be committed
to the completion of Ajaokuta steel company to provide millions of jobs to
unemployed Nigerians.
Hon. Nkem Uzoma-Abonta (PDP, Abia) added that with
all its noble intentions, the federal government's decision to keep money
"runs contrary to our law."
Hon. Sunday Adepoju (APC, Oyo) argued that the
recoveries could be distributed to states to finance critical infrastructure
that'll have chain effects and boost economic well-being of Nigerians."
On his part, Hon. Nicholas Ossai (PDP, Delta) said
the National Assembly has power to prescribe usage of the recovered loot.
He said: "We can make a law to determine how
the money is to be spent. We have instruments which the House has not used. This
money can alleviate poverty if well used. We should make a law distributing
that money. The EFCC has also recovered loots but how have they been
spent?"
Also, Hon. Nnenna Elendu-Ukeje (PDP, Abia) raised
an issue with the agreement entered into with foreign countries by the federal
government, adding: "No country has the right to tell us what to do with
our money."
Hon. Chika Adamu (APC, Niger) also said "no
country should dictate what we use our money for.
"How can the government be giving out N5,000
to people? No one has the right to keep and dish out the money. Let us advise
the executive on better projects."
However, Hon. Abdulmumuni Jubrin (APC, Kano) noted
that the recoveries ought to have been paid into the CRF, adding that the
federal government could have consulted the National Assembly on the issue.
He, therefore, suggested that the House should
investigate every money recovered from Abacha loot and determine if they have
been judiciously utilised.
Nevertheless, the House Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara,
further sought to know if another country can "tell us what to use our
money for when the law says the money should be paid into the CRF."
He added that the matter should be investigated to enable the House take an
informed and firm decision over the recoveries.
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