*Probes NPA
over alleged $3b fraud
The Senate
Committee on Appropriation yesterday asked the Works, Power and Housing
Minister, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, to resign if he could not cope with the
responsibilities
of his ministry.
After being
briefed at a plenary session by the Chairman, Senate Committee on
Appropriation, Danjuma Goje, on the utterances of Fashola, the Senate resolved
to await the outcome of the meeting of the minister with the House of Representatives
before taking a final decision on him. The development is an indication of the
worsening rift between the National Assembly and the Executive.
The minister
and the National Assembly have been squabbling after the passage of the 2017
budget, as Fashola alleged that the National Assembly altered the document.
Goje had
raised a point of order, drawing the attention of the chamber to the statements
credited to Fashola on the role of the National Assembly on the 2017 budget,
while the lawmakers were on Sallah recess.
He advised
Fashola to resign, if it becomes too cumbersome for him to effectively manage
the three ministries under him.
“I advise
Fashola to remember that he is now a minister and should behave like a
minister. He is not a governor, and this National Assembly is not Lagos State
House of Assembly.
“This is
assembly made up of very patriotic Nigerians; very experienced Nigerians. Many
of them have done his job; many were in government before him. Fashola should
know that in dealing with the National Assembly of Nigeria, it is not Lagos
State House of Assembly.
“If his job
is too much for him because the ministries are too big for him and he cannot
adjust, then he should do the honourable thing and resign. But no amount of
blackmail or propaganda by him or his surrogates will stop this National
Assembly from discharging its duties in accordance with the provisions of the
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“We have
sworn to uphold and protect this constitution, and we will do this to the end
of the life of this assembly. For now, I will cease fire and watch how the
House of Representatives will handle it. If it is well handled there, then we
leave it with them; if the House is not satisfied and they pass it to us, then
we take it over.”
In his
remarks, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki said: “The spokesman of the Senate
has spoken on this matter and the Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriations
has also spoken on it. I am happy that the House of Reps has also taken up this
matter.
“I want to
advise those who are in government to be responsible. The cabinet members of
the Federal Government must always speak from a national point of view and in
the interest of all Nigerians. We will definitely wait for the outcome of his
appearance before the House of Representatives before further contribution can
be made on it”.
The
Committee on Power suggested that defaulting agencies of government regarding
the electrocution of over 30 persons last April at a football viewing centre in
Calabar, Cross River State should be probed. The panel said it was sad that
those agencies which were supposed to ensure due diligence to secure lives
simply failed to do their job.
Also
yesterday, the Senate mandated its Committee on Marine Transport to investigate
a $3 billion fraud allegation against the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
The
allegation was raised yesterday on a Point of Order moved by Senator Ovie
Omo-Agege, the lawmaker representing Delta Central Senatorial District.
Omo-Agege
said the alleged fraud was in connection with the activities of the Joint
Venture Enterprises of the NPA, namely, the Lagos Channel Management, the Bonny
Channel Company, and the Calabar Channel Management Company Limited.
He noted
that both the Lagos Channel Management and the Bonny Channel Company were
established in August 2005 for the management and routine maintenance dredging
of Lagos and Bonny navigation channels, while the Calabar Channel Management
Company Limited was established for the management and capital dredging of the
Calabar channel.
The lawmaker
said the aforementioned companies were established to operate a public-private
partnership (PPP) model and to reduce financial burden on the Federal
Government. But the NPA has spent over $1billion and $2billion on the Lagos
Channel Management and the Bonny Channel Company respectively from 2005 till
date.
He said that
despite the huge expenditure, significant dredging is yet to begin on the
Calabar channel despite that it is an economic gateway to the North Central and
North East geo-political zones of the country.
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