The Senate Sunday declared it has not recommended any of the states being demanded by some Nigerians in the report to be submitted by the Constitution Review Committee.
Senate’s declaration is sequel to a media report (not in Blueprint) that 20 new additional states were being recommended by the upper legislative chamber out of the many requested by different groups across the country.
The requests were contained in the memoranda submitted to the Senate Committee on Constitution Review headed by Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo – Agege.
In a rebuttal issued and signed by Senate’s spokesman, Dr Ajibola Basiru (APC Osun Central), the lawmakers said none of the series of states as demanded in the memoranda submitted, was recommended for creation in the committee’s report.
Basiru, who is a member of the committee, also said going by the provisions of Section 8 of the 1999 Constitution, the committee cannot make any recommendation for state creation without following the laid down procedure which starts with referendum where two thirds of people residing in an area where a new state is to be created, must vote yes.
The referendum, he further explained, would be conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and also supported by 2/3 of members of the National Assembly and at least 24 out of the 36 States Houses of Assembly.
In the statement titled: “Senate Committee did not propose creation of 20 New States,” the lawmakers said: “Our attention has been drawn to a media report that the Senate Committee on Review of 1999 Constitution has proposed the creation of additional 20 States.
“The report is a gross misrepresentation of the decision of the committee on the request for creation of more states. Far from recommending creation of any state, the Senate Committee, while acknowledging receipts of several Bills proposing creation of new states, decided that it is not in a position to recommend or propose the creation of any state unless there is compliance with the provisions of Section 8 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic as amended.
“For ease of reference, Section 8 of the Constitution provides:
An Act of the National Assembly for the purpose of creating a new State shall only be passed if –
(a) a request, supported by at least two-thirds majority of members (representing the area demanding the creation of the new State) in each of the following, namely –
(i) the Senate and the House of Representatives, (ii) the House of Assembly in respect of the area, and
(iii) the local government councils in respect of the area, is received by the National Assembly;
“(b) a proposal for the creation of the State is thereafter approved in a referendum by at least two-thirds majority of the people of the area where the demand for creation of the State originated;
“(c) the result of the referendum is then approved by a simple majority of all the States of the Federation supported by a simple majority of members of the Houses of Assembly; and (d) the proposal is approved by a resolution passed by two-thirds majority of members of each House of the National Assembly.
“In view of the above, the Senate Committee is not in a position to propose creation of any state as reported. Rather the committee decided to refer the requests received to Independent National Electoral Commission to ensure compliance with Section 8 of the Constitution by conducting referendum in the areas if the requests supported by at least two-thirds majority of members (representing the area demanding the creation of the new State) in the Senate, the House of Representatives and the House of Assembly in the area.
“The above clarifications are imperative to set the record straight.”
During the submission of memoranda, committees of the two chambers on Constitution Review received states creation agitations like Adada from Enugu, Oke – Ogun from Oyo , Okura from Kogi , Gurara from Kaduna, Okun from Kogi , Katagum from Bauchi states among several others.
...Frowns at N132m NBET expenses
Meanwhile, the Senate has ordered the Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET), to refund the sum of N132, 066, 948.00million expended on Drivers Uniforms, Overseas training etc, into the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) .Senate’s directive was sequel to queries issued to that effect by the Auditor General of the Federation in the 2015 Audit Report.
The N132million as stated in the queries, sustained by Senate committee on public accounts and adopted by the upper chamber, comprised N95.320million spent on overseas training for staff which never took place , N34.163mllion payments for unverifiable services and N2.583million spent for production of uniforms for outsourced drivers.
The queries read: “Payment of the sum of N34, 163,948.00million without internal audit checking for unverifiable services in violation of extant Financial Regulations.
“Payment of N2, 583,000.00 million to a contractor for production of Uniform of outsourced drivers who supposed to be kitted by their firm and not NBET.
“Expenditure of the sum of N95, 320,000.00million for overseas training of Staff against Presidential directive and without documentary evidence.”
Adopting the report as recommended by the committee, the Senate directed NBET to remit the purported N132million expenses into the CRV.
Specifically, on the N2.583million expended on uniforms for outsourced drivers, the Senate said: “Provision of Uniform to outsourced drivers is illegal. The contractor is supposed to provide uniforms for his staff and not NBET.
“NBET should therefore refund the sum of N2.583million to government coffers and evidence of refund submitted to the Senate Public Accounts Committee in accordance with Financial Regulations 3102, 3103 and 3115.
“N95million purportedly expended on overseas training for Staff between October and November 2014 which was in violation of Presidential directive of February 2014 and which has no documentary evidence, should be refunded into the CRF.
“Unpre – audited payment of N34.163 million for unverifiable services should also be refunded into the CRF.
“The Accounting Officer, who authorised the payment, be removed from his /her schedule according to Rule 3115 of the Financial Regulation for contravening the provision of Financial Regulation 1705 and evidence of compliance should be forwarded to the Auditor General as well as the Senate Public Accounts Committee.”