N23.7trn Request: Finance Minister, CBN Holding NASS To Ransom – Senate

The Senate has accused the minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, and the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, of delaying the passage of the N23.7 trillion Ways and Means Restructuring forwarded to it in December by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Red Chamber, during its plenary after resumption from the Christmas and New Year recess, noted that Ahmed and Emefiele had failed to supply the required details to enable the lawmakers consider for passage the N23.7 trillion Ways and Means.

It, therefore, ordered the two government officials, to within three days, supply the required information on the presidential request to the Special Committee set up for that purpose before going on break last year.

The Senate warned that in view of Presidential and National Assembly elections coming up next month, it would adjourn plenary this week or latest by Tuesday next week, to enable members participate in campaigns.

It took these decisions sequel to the request made by the chairman of the Special Committee and Senate Leader, Senator Ibrahim Gobir (APC, Sokoto East).

Gobir had raised a Point of Order motion, citing Order 40 of the Senate Standing Rules, under personal explanation, drawing the attention of the Senate that series of attempts made by the Committee from 28th December, 2022, to Tuesday, 17th January, 2023, to meet the finance minister and CBN governor for the required details had been fruitless.

He said: “As a special committee, for urgent and thorough assignment, we hit the ground running immediately after composition on 28th of December last year. For required details on the N23.7 trillion Ways and Means Restructuring, six vital questions were raised, five for the CBN governor and one for the finance minister, but their trips abroad prevented us from asking them the questions.

“Now that they are around, we request the Senate to give us additional three days for thorough work on the assignment and submission of the report.”

Angered by the submission, the president of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, in his response said the Ways and Means request from the president was a very serious issue that must not be treated with levity by all those concerned.

He said the Senate was ready to approve the request after thorough scrutiny which could only be done if required details were provided by relevant officials from the Executive arm of government.

“We must have necessary information for passage of the N22.7 trillion request, and time is not on our side in the Senate now in view of the coming general elections.

“If there is need for the Senate to sit up to Friday this week for thorough consideration and passage of the request, it will be done but the affected officials from the executive must also expedite action on provision of required information as regards documents authorising approval and disbursement of the monies totalling N22.7 trillion”, he said.

President Muhammadu Buhari had, in separate letters to both Chambers of the National Assembly on December 21, 2022, sought approval for restructuring of N23.7 trillion Ways and Means.

The efforts made by the Senate to approve the request during passage of the N21.83 trillion 2023 budget on 28th of December last year failed, thereby compelling the Chamber to set up the Senator Gobir-led Special Committee to liaise with the Executive arm for necessary information.