Governor UmaruTanko Al-Makura has constantly faced threats of impeachment from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)-dominated Nasarawa State House of Assembly (NSHA) since he assumed three years ago. The crux of this abrasive interface with the governor who is of the All Progressives’ Congress (APC) has bordered on alleged funds mismanagement and other issues like key appointments by the executive.
Weekly Trust that gathered the lawmakers have stood on “matters of public interest,” on many occasions to slam the governor over various allegations bordering on official misconduct. They have also had to pass a dozen resolutions directing Al-Makurato fire his appointees, alleging “gross misconduct” against such them. The governor has had to oblige them by sacking his appointees, but inevitably had a running battlewith the lawmakers on other occasions.
But soon, the hunter became the hunted. The lawmakers, whose oversight function has earned them accolades for bullying the executive, are themselves now being accused of having soiled their hands in scandalous receipts of illegal payments in salaries and allowances.The EFCC is investigating the 24 members of the NSHA over allegations of pocketing illegal salaries and allowances amounting to N4.8 billion. The anti-graft agency has since invited and quizzed the now troubled lawmakers.
The members initially denied they were interrogated by the EFCC, but had to later confirm reports on the matter. Nevertheless, they still alleged the agency was merely witch-hunting them for political reasons.
The Civil Society Network AgainstCorruption (CSNAC) alleges in its petition that the legislators collected over N4 billion in illegal salaries and allowances from June 2010 and October 2013.
Three principal officers of the house - the deputy speaker, Elisha Agwadu (PDP, Obi II), the majority leader, Godiya Akwashiki (PDP, Nasarawa-Eggon-West), and the minority leader, Barrister Tanko Maikatako (APC, Lafia-Central) - were the first to be quizzed on February 11.
Peter Mbucho, (PDP, Akwanga-North), Mohammed Okpede, (PDP, Doma-North) and Yahaya Usman Ohinoyi (PDP, Umaisha/Ugya), as well as Francis Orogo (PDP, Keana), Othman Bala Adam (APC, Keffi-East), and Babawi Bulus Chetubo (PDP, Karu/Jitata) – took their turn on February 13.They were all questioned over their involvement in the receipt of illegal salaries and allowances in excess of N4 billion, Weekly Trust learnt. EFCC officials confirmed the lawmakers were interrogated, but declined to give official comment on the matter.
NSHA committee chairman on information, Mohammed Baba Ibaku (PDP, Udege/Loko), confirmed that the EFCC is probing the lawmakers, but challenged the agency’s handling of the petition.
“The allegations did not make any sense. The petitioners should have attached evidence. But they (EFCC) are now looking for submissions through us. The petitioners are the ones to prove their allegations, not us. We will just go and tell what we know about ourselves and come back,” Ibaku told Weekly Trust recently.
But CSNAC is also seeking the trial of lawmakers found wanting in the alleged collection of illegal salaries and allowances in excess of about N4.8 billion in two and half years.
In the said petition signed by the group’s chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, on December 27, 2013, with the title: “Urgent Appeal for Intervention in Alleged Mismanagement of Public Funds in Nasarawa State,” the group said each member of any house of assembly is only entitled to salary and allowances as follows: “An annual basic salary of N1.34 million; accommodation, N802,335; vehicle maintenance, N267,445; and recess allowance, N133,772.”
The petition adds that a lawmaker is supposed to receive once in four years, a vehicle loan of N5.3 million, furniture allowance of N2 million and N2.6 million as severance gratuity. Other yearly emoluments are N334,306 for constituency allowance; N334,306 for domestic staff; N133,772 for utilities; and N66,861 as newspapers allowance. In addition, the state lawmaker is entitled to N25,000 as duty tour allowance (DTA) per night and 600 US dollars estacode while on foreign trips per night.
The petition alleges that to the contrary, the 24 lawmakers have “fleeced away the state resources under bogus and illegal self-approvedallowances and salaries,” amounting to an excess of about N4.8 billion since 2010.
Details provided in the petition show that between June 2010 and October 2013, each of the lawmakers pocketed monthly allowances of N4 million, an annual foreign trip allowance of N10 million, and an annual Constituency Allowance of N30 million.
“From our computation, each member has received N78,997,082 in excess of the approved constituency allowances over a two and a half year period. Each lawmaker has also received N46,127 in excess of approved salary and allowances,” the petition says in part.
The anti-graft group wants the EFCC to recover N78,997,082 from each lawmaker, and a total of N1,974,927,050 by the assembly in excess of constituency project allowances collected over the last two and a half years; recovery of N115,318,772 from each lawmaker, and a total of N2,882,969,312 by the assembly in excess of salaries collected under the period.
The petition is also seeking the stoppage of further allocation and payment of illegal salaries and allowances to the legislators under the 2014 fiscal year, a speedy conclusion of investigation and prosecutionof those indicted where necessary.
House majority leader Godiya Akwashiki said the EFCC is only witch-hunting the lawmakers, adding that the agency’s handling of the case suggests that it is only acting a script to tarnish the image of the legislators.
“The EFCC is trying to witch-hunt us. They are trying to intimidate us. Otherwise, the issues they are investigating are not tenable. Up to nine or 12 of us have been invited, and the questions they are asking are not meaningful,” Akwashiki told Weekly Trust.
“We are not paying ourselves. The state government pays us. We are not account officers. We don’t control finances of the state, but the government. The governor must assign our salaries. It is the governor that pays us,” he said and queried the interest of the petitioners.
“The petitioners are from Lagos. What is their interest in Nasarawa? But we have gathered that they were handed the allegations they are making against us by certain interest blocs which are hell bent on tarnishing our image,” the house leader said.
“But we will not fall to cheap blackmail. First the petitioners petitioned that we are collecting illegal salaries and illegal constituency allowances. And we don’t have anything like constituency allowances or constituency projects as they petitioned. What we have is constituency services. It shows you that the petitioners do not even know what they petitioning,” he said.
“Also, don’t forget that the petitioners are claiming that we received illegal salaries from June of 2010. I was not in the house in 2010. I only came to the house in 2011. Those who were in the House in 2010 are even commissioners in the executive now. So, should I answer for the so called offences of someone else? And then, the EFCC is asking us to go and retire the monies/ funds we have received from the government. I don’t know how that has become the business of the EFCC, and notNasarawa State government account officers,” Akwashiki queried further.
But Olanrewaju Suraju, the anti-corruption group’s executive director, said his organisation had to dig into the legislature’s funds because “before you know it, states in Southwest and Southeast regions, where they do not even have oil, will start using Nasarawa State Assembly as a reference point.”
He said in a state rated as one of the poorest, the lawmakers are now rated as the highest paid in the country.
“It is sad that a state like Nasarawa, which is one of the poorest states in Nigeria, is experiencing this from its own lawmakers. They collect N4 million monthly allowance, N10 million traveling allowance and N30 million annual constituency allowance. And this is a state that suffers from one of the worst in education, health, accommodation and shelter,” Suraju said.
Source: Daily Trust
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