Says, we can’t be blackmailed
By Ezrel Tabiowo
Abuja
The lingering feud between the National Assembly and the Executive arm of government, is assuming a worsening dimension as the Senate, yesterday described the Medium Term Expenditure Framework/Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF/FSP) document, the template for the 2017 Budget, as deficient.
It said the document, forwarded to both arms of the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari, lacked necessary ingredients to address the nation’s present economic woes.
Besides, the lawmakers also took a swipe at the Presidency over recent allegations in the media that the National Assembly was frustrating submission of the Appropriation Bill by the president.
Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, made the positions known in a late night statement yesterday in Abuja.
He said, at no time did senators mention the issue of constituency projects during debate on the MTEF/FSP document as reported by the newspaper.
Senator Abdullahi added that senators opposed and expressed dissatisfaction with the MTEF as a result of glaring inconsistencies identified; such as the naira projection to the US dollar, and Projected Gross Domestic Product (GDP), whose figures failed to meet with the realities on ground.
The lawmaker further said the intent of the report in the national daily which was attributed to a source in the Presidency, was meant to blackmail the National Assembly as being responsible for the failures of the executive in living to expectations of delivering efficient governance that translates to visible growth and development.
Senator Abdullahi in the statement said: “The attention of the National Assembly has been drawn to a misleading, malicious and false report that the National Assembly is frustrating the submission of the 2017 Appropriation Bill because of the contention over the refusal of the Presidency to approve the constituency project of the lawmakers.
“The said story quoted an unnamed Presidency official as its source. Much as the National Assembly does not respond to speculations in the media, it, however, wishes to state as follows: The said news item in THISDAY is completely false.
“The Senate on November 22, 2016 at the plenary session deliberated on the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP) and passed it on to its legislative committees for necessary legislative actions and recommendations.”
Continuing, the upper chamber said, “Throughout the debate at the plenary, no mention was made of the constituency projects of the lawmakers as it was not the subject of debate. Rather, the senators took time to comment on the observed deficiencies of the MTEF/FSP document before the National Assembly.
“The senators observed the unrealistic aspect of the document, pointing out that it was not in tune with realities on ground.
“For instance, the senators that spoke complained against the crude oil benchmark projection and that expectation that over two million barrels of crude oil per day is being projected without taking into cognizance the militancy in the Niger Delta region.
“The Senate at the plenary was alarmed on the Naira projection to the US Dollar, which was not in tandem with the current Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) projection of N350 to a US Dollar, whereas the MTEF/FSP projected N290 to a US Dollar.
“The senators also complained against the projected Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and projected growth in 2017 and other issues. In none of these was the issue of constituency projects mentioned.
“It therefore beats the imagination where THISDAY and the so-called Presidency official got their information from. It must be a product of disinformation and attempt to blackmail the National Assembly.”
“For the records, the Senate has discussed and passed the MTEF/FSP and subsequently referred it to the relevant Senate Committee and the committee will come up with its recommendations as soon as possible,” Senator Abdullahi added.
